The Perfect Carrot Cake

Everyone loves a good carrot cake. It's one of those treats that you can kid yourself its healthy and can be counted as one of your five a day. Of course, you can use low-fat cheese or leave the cake unfrosted. It will still be delicious, personally I like it with out.

INGREDIENTS
For the cake
350g carrots
60g pecans
110g self-raising flour
110g plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
240ml vegetable oil
170g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons golden syrup

The topping (optional)
200g cream cheese
60g softened unsalted butter
60g sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

METHOD
1) Start off by grating 350g carrots and chopping 60g pecans. Put to one side.

2) Sieve together 110g self-raising flour and 110g plain wholemeal flour with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. Tip the bran bits left in the sieve into the mixture.

3) Whisk together 240ml vegetable oil, 170g soft brown sugar, 4 eggs and 2 tablespoons golden syrup.

4) Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until it’s nice and smooth. Stir in the carrots and pecans.

5) Tip the mixture into a greased lined 9" round tin and cook at 160°C for an hour, or until cooked.

6) For the topping, mix 200g cream cheese, 60g softened unsalted butter, 60g sifted icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, until smooth. Allow the cake to cool and then add the topping. It will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

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All Bran Loaf

From time to time I get an urge to bake. I'm not a great baker but there are a few baked treats that I do amazingly well, even if I do say so myself!

This recipe for All Bran loaf is great, there are just five ingredients, i don't use weighing scales just grab a tea cup or mug out the cupboard, mix everything up and pop it in the oven and it turns out great every time.


INGREDIENTS
1 cup/mug All Bran
1 cup/mug Milk
1 cup/mug Self raising flour
½ cup/mug Sugar
1 cup/mug Dried mixed fruit (you could even mix in some of your favourite nuts)

METHOD
1) Pre-heat the oven to 325°F / 170°C.

2) In a bowl put in the All Bran and milk, let this soak for a few minutes.
Once soaked add the self raising flour, dried fruit of your choice and sugar and mix until well combined.

3) Pour the mixture into a well greased baking tin and place in the oven for about one and a half hours. If you check it by placing a skewer in it, when it comes out clean its ready. Take it out of the tin and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.

4) Serve with a cup of tea and butter.

Apple Crumble

We had some apples to use up so rather than leaving them another half week and then having to throw them out I made an apple crumble.

I'm not a big fan of cooking with apples, yet there is something about that yummy crumble topping that I love no mater what fruit I have it with. The best has to be plums or rhubarb when they are in season.

INGREDIENTS
For the crumble
300g plain flour
180g brown sugar
200g salted butter
Knob of butter for greasing

For the filling
450g apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp of ground cinnamon

METHOD
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2) Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking the butter rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3) Put the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour, cinnamon and mix well.

4) Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.

5) Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.

Serve with ice cream, custard or my favourite thick cream.