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The best-ever carrot cake

Ingredients:

375g/14oz self-raising flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
550g/14oz caster sugar
250ml/9fl oz grapeseed oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
180g/6oz chopped walnuts
200g/7oz desiccated coconut
350g/12oz puréed cooked carrots 
175g/6oz crushed tinned pineapple, drained
a little milk if necessary		The best-ever carrot cake
Icing:

300g/10oz pack of cream cheese
100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
600g/1¼lb icing sugar, sieved – more to taste if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/170°C fan/350°F. Line a deep
    baking tin 33x23cm/13x9in with baking parchment (a 60fl oz roasting tin is
    perfect for a tray-bake).
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. If too dry, add 2 tablespoons milk.
  3. Pour into tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the sides pull away from tin and a skewer comes out cleanly. If brown but not cooked in the centre, cover with baking parchment and cook a little more. Cool on a wire rack.
  4. Make the icing: using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly add the icing sugar and vanilla extract, beating until mixture is free from lumps. If too soft, refrigerate until chilled.
  5. Ice the cake when completely cold. Refrigerate.
Cook’s tips
  • A smaller cake can be made by reducing the quantities of ingredients, eg. reduce ingredients in ratio to the eggs
  • Vanilla extract gives a better flavour than vanilla essence
  • Rice and potato flours are suitable for people with coeliac disorder as they don’t contain gluten; a protein in wheat.
  • This cake can be frozen.

If you are interested in gardening or cooking why not check out the residential courses available at the WI's Denman College? Courses run for 2,3 and 4 days and the college is open also to non-members.