Wholemeal carrot and honey cake recipe

By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from River Cottage 2009

Hugh whips up a healthier version of tea time favourite, carrot cake, in River Cottage

Serves at least 12

Ingredients

4 eggs
150g golden caster sugar
300ml rapeseed oil or, for a slightly lighter flavour, 150ml each rapeseed and sunflower oil
4 medium-large carrots, peeled and finely grated
300g wholemeal self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g jar runny honey

For the icing (optional)

125g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
50g-100g icing sugar, or to taste, sieved

METHOD

How to make wholemeal carrot and honey cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm diameter, springform cake tin.

2. Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a mixer. Using the mixer, or electric beaters, beat together for about 10 minutes, until pale, foamy and slightly thickened. Add the oil and beat for a couple of minutes more.

3. Combine the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and sieve them into the mixture. Tip any bran left in the sieve into the mixture too. Fold in lightly. Finally, fold in the grated carrot. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Scrape the honey into a saucepan. Set over a low heat and heat gently until the honey is liquid. Pierce the hot cake all over with a small knife, or a skewer. Slowly pour on the hot honey so it soaks into the cake. Leave in the tin to cool completely before turning out.

5. The cake is lovely just like this but, if you'd like to ice it, beat the soft butter in a bowl until smooth and fluffy, then beat in the cream cheese and orange zest. Sweeten to taste with sieved icing sugar. Spread over the cake when it's cold.