I love to bake cakes with different fruits to blend their flavours in the cake. However to bring variety, this time I baked the cake with a vegetable, carrot, which is perhaps the most easy to find in winter. With the grated carrot, what I prepare is a butter less, wholewheat cake which is topped with lemon flavoured cream cheese. I am not exaggerating, but the outcome was truly lip-smacking.

Ingredients to serve 16 :

1. Wholemeal flour – 225 gm.
2. Coarsely grated carrot – 200 gm.
3. Sunflower oil – 200 ml.
4. Molasses or Brown sugar – 175 gm.
5. Egg – 2
6. Baking Soda – 1 teaspoon
7. Ground cinnamon – 2 teaspoon
8. Whole nutmeg (grated) – about 1 teaspoon
9. Roughly chopped walnut – 115 gm.

For topping :

1. Cream cheese (half-fat) – 115 gm.
2. Butter (soften) – 4 tbspoon
3. Icing sugar – 85 gm.
4. Grated lemon rind – 1 teaspoon
5. Grated orange ring – 1 teaspoon

Procedure :

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until well blended and add the sugar and oil. Mix well.

Add the grated carrot, sift in the flour, baking soda and spices, then add the walnuts. Mix every thing together until well incorporated.

Grease and line a 20 cm./8 inch round cake tin. Spread the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the centre of a preheated oven, 190°C/375°F, for 40-50 minutes until the cake is nicely risen, firm to the touch and has begun to shrink away slightly from the edges of the tin. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin until just warm, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

To make the topping, put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat together for 2-3 minutes until really smooth.

When the cake is completely cold, spread with the topping, smooth over with a palette knife, and allow to firm up a little before cutting into 16 portions.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.