The Pink Whisk Brilliant Baking Step-by-Step Cake Making (14 page)

¹
⁄
₂
tsp ground ginger

50g (1
³
⁄
₄
oz) sultanas (golden raisins)

220g (9oz) grated carrot (approx. 8 small carrots, peeled, topped and grated)

Cream cheese frosting

35g (1
¹
⁄
₄
oz) butter

110g (4oz) full fat cream cheese

300g (10
¹
⁄
₂
oz) icing (confectioners) sugar, sifted

Carrot Decorations (optional)

25g (1oz) orange sugarpaste (rolled fondant)

5g (
¹
⁄
₈
oz) green sugarpaste (rolled fondant)

Equipment

20cm (8in) round baking tin, at least 7.5cm (3in) deep

Skewer

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan)/180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line the base and sides of the cake tin.

2 In a large bowl (make sure it’s big enough to fold in the whisked egg whites later on – it’s no fun struggling in a small bowl) place the sunflower oil, golden syrup, egg yolks and light Muscovado sugar. Give it a quick mix up and then set it to one side. The mixture will still be coarse and lumpy but don’t worry, by the time we come back to it the sugar will have softened and it’ll be a breeze to mix together.

TIP

Measure the oil in a jug, add to the bowl and then use the same jug to weigh the golden syrup – the syrup will just slide straight out into the mixing bowl.

3 In a small bowl mix together the self-raising flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger and sultanas.

4 In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks, and set to one side.

5 Now back to the sugar/oil mixture. Mix it well with a spatula until it’s even; it takes a bit of work to get the oil to incorporate but you’ll get there.

6 Add the grated carrot to the sugar/oil mixture and mix it up again. Now in goes the flour, spices and sultanas and a final good mix up.

7 Take a third of the whipped egg whites and add to the carrot batter. Beat in briskly with a spatula. This first bit loosens the mixture. Now add the rest of the egg whites and fold in carefully using a spatula to cut through and lift the mixture.

8 Gently transfer the cake mixture to the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. Check the cake after 45 minutes and if it’s getting dark on top cover with a sheet of foil to prevent it from burning. Before removing from the oven test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre: it should come away clean. If it still has moist cake mixture stuck to it it’ll need another 10 minutes before testing again. Once baked right through remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing and allowing to cool fully on a wire rack.

9 To make the cream cheese frosting place the butter in a large bowl and beat it well with a spatula so it’s super soft. Add the cream cheese to the bowl and beat the two together until they’re fully mixed. Now add in the sifted icing sugar and work it all together until smooth. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cooled cake with a palette knife.

TIP

It’s important that the butter and cream cheese are the same temperature for them to blend together well. Get them out of the fridge at the same time to soften.

10 For the carrot decorations divide the 25g (1oz) orange sugarpaste into ten equal pieces. Roll each into a ball in the palm of your hand. To taper one end of the carrot lay the ball in the palm of your hand and roll it underneath a fingertip. Using something pointy (a skewer or the wrong end of a paintbrush) poke a hole in the top of the carrot.

11 To make the leaves divide the green sugarpaste into 10 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Taper the end of each as with the carrots, set onto a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and flatten the ball part with your fingertip. Take a sharp knife and make 3 small cuts into the flattened piece to divide into the leafy part of the carrot.

12 Put a tiny dab of water on the pointy part of the carrot top, and then insert it into the hole in the carrot body, gently squeezing the two parts together. Finally, imprint three lines down the body of the carrot with a knife. Space the decorations evenly around the frosted cake. Serve.