Carrot Cake Traybake

 

Serves 12

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Cooling Time: 10 minutes

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Guest Recipe courtesy of Aoife Noonan published in The Irish Times Sat Jan 02 2021 

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Ingredients

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For the carrot cake:

• 150g self raising flour

• 1¼ tbsp mixed spice

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 50g ground almonds

• 50g raisins

• 50g walnuts

• 3 eggs

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 100ml sunflower oil

• 135ml milk

• 150ml maple syrup

• 300g carrots, grated

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For the cream cheese frosting:

• 400g cream cheese

• 100g natural yoghurt

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 orange

• 20g walnuts

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or 160 degrees if using a fan oven. Grease and line a 23 x 23cm square cake tin or baking tray with parchment paper, leaving a little paper hanging over the sides.
    

2. Sieve the self raising flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl.
    

3. Add the ground almonds and raisins and mix well to combine. Roughly chop the walnuts and add to the bowl. Set aside.
    

4. In a large bowl or jug, crack in the eggs, add the sunflower oil, maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract and whisk well to combine.
    

5. Grate the carrots into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well.
    

6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir well with a large metal or wooden spoon until everything is completely combined.
    

7. Pour the cake mix into the prepared tray and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
    

8. Remove the traybake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
    

9. Put the cream cheese into a large bowl and beat well until smooth. Add the yoghurt and maple syrup and mix well.
    

10. Grate in the zest of the orange and add the juice of half. Mix well and taste. If you like a little more citrus flavour, add the juice of the remaining half orange. Chill the frosting until ready to ice.
     

11. Roughly chop the walnuts and set aside until ready to assemble.
     

12. Place the carrot cake traybake on a serving plate and spread the cream cheese frosting on top.
     

13. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top and slice into 12 squares to serve.