BANANA & CARROT CAKE

Banana & carrot Cake image

Provided by oo00ookellyoo00oo

Time 1h45m

Yield Serves 8

Number Of Ingredients 21

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3 eggs
180g soft brown sugar
180g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
180g Sunflower oil
120g walnut pieces or almonds
2 ripe bananas, mashed
180g grated carrot
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
handful of sultanas (Or mixed fruit if needs using)
Zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp fresh orange juice (You could use half an orange in juice for a really moist cake, if you do then decorate with small zigzags of icing rather than a heavy topping)
80g Butter
80g Cream cheese
175g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
chopped walnuts or almonds to decorate

Steps:

Pre-heat the oven to 170C. Line and grease a 20cm diameter cake tin. Mix the sugar, eggs and orange juice until well combined and thickened. sift in (Together) the flour, baking powder, salt, bicarb, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.
Mix these all together thoroughly and then add the oil, almond/walnuts, bananas, carrot, sultanas and Zest. Give this a thorough mix then pour into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it is cooked. Remember if the skewer or knife comes out clean then it is ready. If it is not ready and is starting to get quite brown on the top then place a piece of foil over the top. When out of the oven cool on a wire rack.
If icing: Beat the butter and cheese together to form a smooth paste, then add the sugar and vanilla. Spread all over the cold cake and decorate around the edges with the whole nuts. I don't decorate our cakes as I am always making them for lunches and too much sugar is a sin!!! However I always decorate my cakes for visitors etc. If you like a topping but like me take them to work, then just before you put the cak in the oven either place some blanched almonds on top of the mixture or some demerara sugar sprinkled all over, this gives a sweet crunchy top! Or mix a very small drop of water in some sieved icing sugar until it makes a thick paste and pour in streaks over the top of your cold cake. This is sweet but less messy than cheese topping!