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Cookalong Afternoon Tea: Zoe's Carrot Cake

Zoe Caines-Leonard of Brynamman’s The Little Velvet Cakery. Zoe, who runs cake courses and recently presented Prince Charles with a cake for grand-son George, puts a healthy twist on a traditional carrot cake recipe.

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Ingredients

  • 475g carrots
  • 80ml buttermilk
  • 3 Eggs (free range or organic if possible)
  • 1tsp Vanilla extract
  • 350ml Vegetable Oil
  • 400g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 500g Plain flour
  • 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1tsp Salt
  • 2tsp Baking powder
  • 2tsp Mixed Spice
  • 50g Walnuts crushed

Icing

  • 100g Unsalted Butter (Welsh Organic if possible!)
  • 600g Icing Sugar
  • 250g Mascarpone Cream Cheese
  • 2tsp Lemon Juice

Method

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees whilst lining your tins with greaseproof paper or cake release spray.

Mix together the carrots, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and sugar until all ingredients are well mixed together.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and mixed spice then slowly beat into the carrot mixture. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well mixed. Finally add the crushed walnuts and mix until smooth.

Fill the two tins equally and place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the top of the sponge bounces back.

Whilst you’re waiting for your cake to cool on a wire rack, gather all your ingredients for the topping.

Mix together the butter and icing sugar until combined but still a snowy consistency, add the lemon juice then the cream cheese and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth and light.

Wait until the sponge is cool and spread the frosting between each layer of the cake before placing on top of each other. Finally cover the top then the outside of the cake.