Let's get baking!

It's Sunday, it's cold and wet and I'm home alone. I've spent all morning reorganising our new pantry... talk about playing Tetris with the shelving and food! Anyway, it's all in and packed away. At least I know what food we have in and where things are.

I was hoping to go out for a nice walk today and take some pictures, however the weather forecast has changed overnight and it hasn't stopped raining since this morning! Pah! So I've decided to test out the new oven that is in the house and see what it's like for baking whilst (oddly) listening to Elaine Page on Radio 2, singing along to musical songs (mmm... "A spoonful of sugar"... "Joseph"... "Evita"... ). Crikey, that's worrying!

Anyway, I've whipped up a carrot cake from a recipe that was given to me from a country hotel/restaurant in Devon. I love carrot cake, but this recipe wins hands down! It's sooo easy to make, no creaming, no Kenwood required, just put it in a bowl and mix!

Here you go:

Ingredients:
2 cups of grated carrot
155g of brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp honey
155g melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon bicarb
125g wholemeal flour
90g plain flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Put the carrot, sugar, butter and honey in a large bowl and mix.

2. Add eggs and mix.

3. Add flours, bicarb and cinnamon. Mix.

4. Spoon into a lined/greased loaf tin.

5. Cook at 160C for 40-45 minutes.

DONE!

The recipe came with a topping which I don't always do (well I'm not doing it today as I have no cream cheese!):
125g cream cheese
70g soft butter
1tsp lemon juice
2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Mix cream cheese and butter together until combined.
2. Add lemon juice and mix.
3. Add icing sugar. Mix.
4. Spread on cooked cake.

Serve with a nice cuppa! Enjoy!

Nic xoxo