serves
8
prep
20 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
8
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml coconut oil
- 100 g caster sugar
- 75 g brown sugar
- 140 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of ½ orange
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated (if you have carrot tops, you can use these to decorate the cake)
- 25 g walnuts, toasted and chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 25 g dates, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup
- 200 ml fresh orange juice
- 100 ml brandy
- 100 g brown sugar
Icing
- 320 g cream cheese
- 60 g icing sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Line a loaf tin with baking paper (parchment) and preheat the oven to 180°C.
- In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, oil, caster and brown sugar, and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and grated orange zest and stir until a wet batter is formed.
- Finish the batter by folding in the carrot, walnuts, dates and vanilla extract.
- Pour into the pre-lined loaf tin, and bake for 40 minutes. Check the cake is cooked – a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- Invert out of tin onto a wire rack, remove paper and allow to cool (leaving the cake upside down).
- Place the orange juice, brandy and brown sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil.
- Whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon until a smooth and thick icing is formed.
- Once the cake has cooled, slice in half horizontally using a serrated knife, then spoon some of the syrup over the cut side of both halves. (Don’t go crazy with the syrup – you want it to be moist, but not so moist that the cake falls apart).
- Spread a layer of the icing on the bottom half then sandwich the cake back together. Using a piping bag and nozzle, decorate the top of the cake with the remaining icing. Garnish with carrot tops and walnuts.
- Slice and serve.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
