Carrot cake recipe

When you’re baking cakes, why not replace the butter in the main cake recipe with Rapeseed oil, for a moist, light cake. Rapeseed oil has less saturated fats than butter, making it a healthier option too.

If you want to convert your existing recipes, look to replace 80% of the total weight with Rapeseed oil, then add 20% of the total weight with milk or soya milk, as this adds in the milk and fat content part usually in the butter.

Here’s a great carrot cake recipe to get you started – there’s also alternative suggestions below it too!

Ingredients:

• 300gm self raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150gm light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 150ml Rapeseed oil
• 300gm peeled and grated carrots
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger

For the topping:

• 200gm soft cheese
• 25gm icing sugar
• 50gm butter (at room temperature
• (1 tbsp lemon juice - optional)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180oC (gas mark 4).
2. Whisk the Rapeseed oil, sugar and eggs together.
3. Fold in the carrots.
4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and ground ginger.
5. Grease and line an 8 inch (20 cm) round tin (or square tin, if you prefer).
6. Spoon in the mixture and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes, before turning out of tin and leaving to go cold.
8. To make the topping, whisk together the soft cheese, icing sugar and butter, before spreading over the cake.

There are a number of variations you can do with carrot cake – including those listed below:

• Carrot and walnut cake – use only 200gm of carrots and add in 75gms of walnuts.
• Carrot and banana cake – use only 125gm of carrots and also add in these additional ingredients: 2 mashed, ripe bananas, 50gm of chopped walnuts and 50gms of sultanas. Bake for 50-60 minutes.