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!

Don't forget that this cake has both carrots and beets in it, therefore it's actually a health food and I would strongly advise you have a second piece, always.

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