serves 12
preparation time 30 minutes plus
cooling time
cooking time 50 minutes
Ingredients for traditional carrot cake
175 g (11⁄2 cups/6 oz) self-raising wholemeal (self-rising wholewheat) flour
175 g (11⁄2 cups/6 oz) self-raising self-rising) flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 g (2⁄3 cup/1⁄2 oz) brazil nuts
60 g (1⁄2 cup/2 oz) raisins
140 g (2⁄3 cup/5 oz) light brown sugar
200 ml (3⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon/7 fl oz) sunflower oil
4 large eggs
200 g (11⁄3 cups/7 oz) carrots (about 3 carrots), finely grated
Finely grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 orange for the icing
250 g (1 cup/9 oz) ricotta cheese
55 g (1⁄4 cup/2 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest of 1⁄2 orange
Preparation for traditional carrot cake
1 Use a 20-cm (8-in) round, deep cake tin and line the base with baking (parchment) paper. Grease lightly. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4).
2 Sift the flours and cinnamon into a large bowl, tipping in any bran left in the sieve. Coarsely chop about two-thirds of the brazil nuts;
stir into flour with the raisins. Slice remaining nuts thinly, lengthwise; set aside.
3 In another bowl, beat sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the grated carrots
and orange zest and juice. Using a large metal spoon, fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture, just until combined. Do not overmix.
4 Spoon mixture into tin. Bake for 50 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool.
5 To make the icing, beat ricotta, sugar and orange zest in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Spread icing on top of cold cake; top with the
reserved sliced nuts, placing them so that they stick up at different angles. Cake will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
http://www.rdasia.com/traditional-carrot-cake#sthash.FxqZd1WP.dpuf
