Carrot and Pecan Nut Cake
with Cream Cheese and Lemon Frosting
Carrot and Pecan Nut Cake
with Cream Cheese and Lemon Frosting
Serves 10
Preparation time: 15mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
This has to be the most divine cake I have made to date.
I probably had more like 400g grated carrots - straight from the veg garden and
it came out so moist and delicious and the tangy topping is just perfect!
Ingredients:
350g/10oz organic grated carrots
75g/3oz pecan nuts, toasted and chopped
175g/6oz butter softened
175g/6oz granulated sugar (I used Coconut sugar)
175/6oz self-raising flour, sifted (I used Spelt flour)
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (to be used if using Spelt flour)
1 level tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground allspice (you can ground the whole berries in a pestle and mortar)
3 organic free range eggs
Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 tsp orange juice
50g/2oz organic ground almonds
For the topping:
1 large Philadelphia cream cheese
1 dsp icing sugar
Squeeze lemon juice
Top with whole Pecan Nuts
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO…
1.
Preheat oven to 180c/Fan 160c/Gas 5. Butter, flour and line a deep sided 1kg/2lb loaf tin.
2.
Place butter and sugar into a food mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour, allspice and baking powder and Bicarbonate of Soda (if using Spelt flour).
3.
Add the eggs, grated rind, orange juice and almonds and beat well. Stir in the carrots and walnuts and spoon into the prepared loaf tin.
4.
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until well risen and firm to touch. Check with a sharp knife to make sure it comes out clean. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
5. Beat together the cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice for the topping. Decorate with extra pecan nuts and grated zest of lemon.