*Carrot and Poppy Seed Cake*
makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf
An unsual quick bread using carrots and poppyseeds together and topped with crunchy orange sugar topping. Moist and delicious.
- 150ml of vegetable oil (generous 5 fluid ounces)
- 2 medium free range eggs, beaten
- 175g soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
- 350g of carrots, peeled and grated (6 medium sized carrots)
- 1 TBS poppyseeds
- 200g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice (see recipe in right hand side bar of page)For the topping:
- the zest of one orange, finely grated
- the juice of 1/2 orange
- 95g of granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2.
Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
Beat the eggs together with the brown sugar and vegetable oil. Stir in the carrots and poppyseeds.
Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice together.
Stir this into the wet mixture, stirring to mix well together.
Spoon into the prepared baking tin and smooth the top.
Bake for 1 hour, to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let stand in the tin for about 5 minutes, then carefully tip out and place right side up on a wire rack.
Whisk together the topping ingredients and then spoon slowly over top of the hot cake, a bit at a time, allowing it to be absorbed each time.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices to eat, with or without butter.
Note: If you are really feeling hedonistic, you can put a cream cheese icing on top as well. Scrummo!!