Did you know Carrot Cake and Hummingbird Cake have a lot in common?
They start to appear around the same time, and they are both made with the ease of a mix and bake method. They have similar spices, and they both include canned pineapple. To top it off, the cream cheese icing covers both. Canned pineapple, like many other canned food items at the moment, are not easy to find, however fresh fruit and veggies are still in abundance. So I used a pear, finely, diced, to replace. It turned out a treat!
Carrot Cake with a Twist
Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Serves: 8
Ingredients
- Two medium carrots, coarsely grated to yield about 300g
- 115g walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 300g plain flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
- Two teaspoons ground cinnamon
- One teaspoon mixed spice
- Four eggs
- 220g caster sugar
- 310ml vegetable oil
- One teaspoon vanilla
- One large ripe pear, cut into small pieces
Cream Cheese Icing
- 250g cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 50g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 250g icing sugar
- One teaspoon vanilla extract
- A sprinkling of pepita seeds and coconut (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Grease then line a 20cm x 30cm slice cake tin with baking paper.
- Combine the carrots and walnuts in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl.
- Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a bowl until thick and smooth then tip in the carrot mixture, the flour mixture and the pineapple.
- Stir until just combined, and there are no more flecks of flour. Do not over mix.
- Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the tin.
- Combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl and use electric beaters to beat until smooth and well combined.
- Spread the icing over the cake and scatter over the pepitas and coconut if using.
- And eat!!! (best served with a cuppa)