Moist Carrot Cake with Walnuts

A Hummingbird classic recipe made with love (and carrots and butter and eggs....)

Last weekend I made the trip  visit my sister.  Like the ultimate cliché, my sister is my best friend in the whole world - someone who can make me hoot and cry with laughter and who I can always rely on to be the same 'Lid-Pot' (as  I call her) every time I see her.

Due to 'insufficient funds' I decided to brave the first leg of the journey by Megabus (an interesting choice which won't be endured again!) and prepared myself for the 7 hour journey with my packed tea: ham and mustard sandwiches in homemade brown bread, apple, banana and a half packet of Malted Milk biscuits (my guilty pleasure).

I could go on and on about the culinary delights that came out of my sister's beautiful kitchen during my three day stay (Mughlai curry , turkish-spiced chicken thighs barbecued, homemade venison burgers with fresh green and pomegranate salads) however, the highlight for me and for her wonderful-other-half-husband-to-be was the Hummingbird Carrot and Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

If you have never braved the whole 'vegetable in a cake' thing, then I would highly recommend it and this particular recipe is so moist and unctuous that it will become a staple (whether topped with thick sweet icing as the recipe below, or simply glazed with a drizzle to keep the soft and gooey texture).

The Cake

3 eggs

300ml sunflower oil

300g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon (plus extra to decorate)

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

300g carrots (grated)

100g shelled walnuts chopped (plus extra for the top if you fancy)

300g soft light brown sugar

Cream Cheese Icing

100g unsalted butter

250g cream cheese

600g icing sugar

Cake:

Oven ON to 170ºC 

Mix sugar, eggs and oil

Gradually add flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla

Stir in walnuts & grated carrots

Pour the mixture into 2 tins

Bake for 20-25 minutes then leave to cool

Cream Cheese Icing:

Beat icing sugar and butter

Add cream cheese

Beat for about 5 minutes

You can use the icing as you wish. The Hummingbird book suggests slathering it here there and everywhere: in between the two cakes like you would for a Victoria Sandwich AS WELL AS a thick layer on top of the cake. Me and the Lid-Pot decided that we'd halve the recipe for the icing due to the seriously high quantities of sugar piling up(!) and that did us enough for thin layers in both the middle and the top, without compromising on flavour. However, I am no scrimper, and whole-heartedly support those wanting to indulge themselves with the whole quantities suggested!

The result was so delicious and I can't wait to make it again. We ate half in one day, with one remaining quarter accompanying my sister's other-half-husband-to-be to the test match at Lord's and the other quarter going in my satchel for the TRAIN journey home! Bliss on all counts!

The finished article: