Carrot Cake

I admit it I've got a thing for vegetable cakes, a few years ago carrot cake was considered a bit fringe and rather unusual, nowadays its everywhere. Its an easy bake and this recipe is one I have been using for a number of years, I can't even remember where it came from, topped and filled with a vanilla cream cheese buttercream its a fab afternoon tea table staple.

The carrot adds moistness and the spice additional layers of flavour, to this lovely cake.

What you need

• 2 carrots - finely grated (I use my handy microplane grater)
• 3 eggs - free range
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 200g soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 175g plain flour ( you could use part wholemeal if you like)

You will also need to oil spray and base line two approximately 20cm sandwich cake tins

What you do 

• Pre heat your oven to 180c 
• Sieve the flour, spices and baking powder onto a plate
• In your trusty mixer beat together your eggs, sugar and oil, now add the grated carrot. 
• Add the sieved flour mixture and quickly mix in the flour retaining as much air as possible in the mixture
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins, bake in the pre heated oven for 25 minutes or so until cooked through when tested with a skewer.
• Cool for a few minutes in the tin, then cool fully on a cooling rack
• When fully cool fill with your favourite buttercream and if you like top it with buttercream too.

This months theme for the Alphabakes challenge is C - so carrot cake qualifies easily, check out the challenge on The More than Occasional Baker and Caroline Makes blog for more details.