CARROT & BEET CAKE WITH LIME & MINT CREAM CHEESE
Friday, August 07, 2015
I will admit, I have gone a little crazy on the beet front. This will be my third beet recipe this week.
Should I be apologizing?
The beets are bursting from my soil, begging to be sliced, diced, baked, boiled, grated and enjoyed. They called, I obliged. Seasonal eating means you eat what's ready, when its ready.
I was watching a TV cookery show the other day and the chef stated that he couldn't sleep easy on the weekends if there wasn't cake in the kitchen. Cake is like a security blanket.
Cake is a like a warm cuddle on a long wet day.
This cake is also pink so could persuade Mr Grumpy to smile.
The cake batter is a joy to see. It looses some of its neon brilliance as it bakes but once cooled this cake gets a delicate pink cream cheese frosting studded with lime and mint. Its the kind of cake you wish was waiting for you once you got home from work on a Friday.
CARROT & BEET CAKE WITH LIME & MINT CREAM CHEESE
WHAT YOU NEED
- 220 g all purpose flour
- 2 heaped tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 50 g walnuts
- 100 g grated carrots
- 100 g grated beetroot (save 2 tsp. of the juice for the icing)
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 free range eggs
- 125 ml vegetable oil
CREAM CHEESE TOPPING
- 75 g soft unsalted butter
- 75 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 175 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp beet juice, reserve this when you grate the beets
- few mint leaves, chopped finely
- grated zest of 1 lime and possibly a little juice if your icing needs loosening
WHAT YOU DO
- Preheat the oven to 350 F /180 C
- Grease and line a 20 cm round baking tin. I used one with a loose bottom and it makes getting the cake out a doddle!
- Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and give it a quick whisk to break up and aerate the dry mix.
- In a large jug mix the oil, eggs, beets, carrots, bananas, sugar and nuts together.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet and stir till mixed well.
- Turn the mix into the prepared pan and bake in the centre of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Check at about 40 minutes and if the top is looking a little too dark place a circle of baking parchment over the cake.
- The cake is ready when it moves away from the edge of the pan and when a clean skewer goes into the centre it should come out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
- To make the icing place everything in a large bowl and beat till smooth. If it looks a little stiff add a little lime juice.
- Ice the top of the cake and enjoy!
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