Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf

No. 2 in the Vegetable Cake Series!

Watching butterflies fly through wildflowers, smiling dogs, ordering a big slab of carrot cake mid-bike ride…as Julie Andrews says, these are a few of my favourite things.

I love love love long bike rides. Give me a 200km route with a great café stop midway and I am one happy bunny. Nothing gets the legs spinning like knowing there’s carrot cake waiting for you over the next hill! Long bike rides are the thing I am missing most here in SA, other than our darling greyhound Tilly (and her little grins!).  So instead, I’m recreating the bike ride café stop feeling through baking at home!

My all-time favourite cafe stop is in Kent; The Tulip Tea Rooms in Chiddingstone. They make amazing cakes, topped with big clouds of soft pillowy icing. You get a huge slice on a beautiful old floral plate and a little desert fork – very British! Most importantly, the cakes always taste delicious – no soggy bottoms or dry sponge! And there is a chiding stone around the corner you can visit afterwards, but only if you PROMISE not to chid yourself for having had that slice of cake.

This is a less extravagant but still delicious carrot cake loaf, gently spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon to warm the soul. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a good book. No chiding allowed.

Ingredients

135g brown sugar

100ml rapeseed/sunflower oil

1 large free-range egg

140g carrots (mine came to 135g grated) probably 2-3 carrots depending on size!

165g self-raising flour (or use 160g plain flour plus 1 heaped tsp baking powder)

Dash of salt

1 -2 cm fresh ginger/ 1tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Options: handful of dried cranberries/ raisins/ sultanas, flaked almonds, chopped walnuts. Grated zest of orange or lemon. I like cranberries or flaked almonds best! 

Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2.      Using a whisk, mix the sugar and oil for a few minutes until the sugar starts to break down and the mixture thickens.

3.      Add the egg and mix again.

4.      Grate the carrots and add to the bowl.

5.      Swap to a wooden spoon. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger if using. Stir gently.

6.      If you are using fresh ginger, grate this into the bowl. I di this in a slightly unconventional way – I just get the big lump of ginger and grate about 1 cm chunk off, no peeling, and straight into the bowl. This method works well using a small microplane grater.

7.      Add in any optional bits now. 

8.      Give one last gentle stir to combine everything.

9.      Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.

10.   Bake for approx. 40 – 45 minutes. Check after 35 minutes, mine was done at 43 minutes! Tested with a skewer or chopstick – pierce the middle and if it comes out clean, no wet dough, then it’s done!

11.   Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes then turn out of the tin.

12.   Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a big mug of tea. Breath. Pet your dog.