My Mum, Kim and sisters Camilla, Kimberley and Shanna came over for dinner on Tuesday night and we made this carrot and walnut cake. Craig is not a big desert eater and earlier that night as I was thinking about what to make for desert I had asked him if he wanted me to make carrot cake. He said only if it had walnuts in it. So, we made a carrot and walnut cake, and Craig pretty much ate all that was left for dinner the night after!
I had heaps of carrots and luckily Shan was able to stop by Aldi and pick up some cream cheese (which I pretty much never have) which turns out to be quite a bit cheaper than the other supermarkets (along with icing sugar, eggs, and brown sugar which I had run out of, hahaha)!
This is a good recipe I think. Its nice and soft, moist and the prefect sweetness with the cream cheese frosting. Also I think you feel a little better eating it because it has carrot in it……
Carrot and Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Prep and cooking time 60mins, serves 8)
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups grated carrot (approx two large carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Cream Cheese Frosting
125g cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
Walnuts to decorate
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 21cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
Sift flour, spice and cinnamon into a bowl. Add sugar, carrot, chopped walnuts, oil and eggs. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if over-browning). Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and lemon rind until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth.
Spread frosting over cake. Decorate with walnuts. Serve.