Quick carrot cake

Babiche Martens

Of course, one of the best places for a carrot is in a cake. This one is quick and super simple, it’s also fabulous cooked in muffin tins, cutting down cooking time, meaning you get to eat them sooner! Cream cheese is a favourite of mine when it comes to icing, even if it is a little decadent. It tops off the deliciousness of this cake.

Ingredients

¾ cup	Raw sugar
125 g	Wholemeal self-rising flour
½ tsp	Cinnamon
½ tsp	Mixed spice
2 cups	Grated carrot (Main)
2 tsp	Orange zest
½ cup	Peanut oil
2	Eggs, whisked lightly
½ cup	Pineapples, chunks
¼ cup	Chopped hazelnuts, or walnuts

For the icing

½ cup	Cream cheese
25 g	Butter, softened
½ tsp	Vanilla essence
1 cup	Icing sugar
½ tsp	Orange zest, plus a little to decorate

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 180C. Line a 20cm tin with baking paper.
2. Into a large bowl place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, carrot and zest. Stir to combine then make a hole in the middle.
3. Add the oil, eggs, pineapple and hazelnuts and stir to combine well. Pour into the tin and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove and cool in the tin.
4. For the icing, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir through the icing sugar and zest making a smooth icing. Spread evenly over the cake. Decorate with extra zest.

More of Angela's carrot recipes

• Carrot fritters
• Carrot and potato rosti