the tea party - post 2 - Gill's Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

This cake recipe was given to my mum from Gill, an australian friend and ex colleague of hers.  When we were leaving australia in 1995, Gill made an incredible little book, full of delicious hand-me-down recipes, things she'd discovered, and little tidbits of australian memorabilia, including photos, and pressed eucalypt leaves.  It is a lovely book, full of love and written with true friendship in mind:)

Gills carrot cake recipe is delicious :D

As you can see, i don't always follow the "loaf" tin suggestion.  i've used round, i've made a giant double one, i've even made em as a sort of cupcake/muffin style and it's always pretty much worked out.  this is an almost failsafe cake recipe! :D

***If you are planning on eating it on the day, you can omit all but a few tablespoons of the oil.  It keeps much better if you put more oil in it, and I would highly recommend making this cake a few days ahead, and icing it on the day of serving.  The flavours seem to marry even more if you do this :)

This cake is extremely easy to make, it's almost as easy as making muffins... it follows a similar method to the "mix the wet inredients, mix the dry ingredients, then stir in together and bake" muffin style.

Anyway, according to Gill, carrot cake is american in origin, and started to become popular in the 50's... :)

Here goes!

Carrot Cake  - Gill style :)

• 1 cup oil***(see above)
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups coarsely grated carrot
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice (i like to add an extra dash of cinnamon too)

Grease 15x25 loaf pan, line base with paper, grease paper.
Beat oil, sugar and eggs in a small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy.
Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in carrot, nuts and raisins.
Add sifted, dry ingredients, stir until just mixed.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake in moderate oven 45 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake about further 45 minutes.

Stand a few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Cream cheese frosting

• 30 g butter
• 80 g cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Beat butter, cheese rind and juice in bowl with electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy; gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.

Hints:  Allow the cake to cool COMPLETELY before icing. 
Prepare frosting hours before you are planning on icing the cake, and refrigerate for a while, it makes it less melty and much easier to frost.  


This cake was meant to be for yesterday's tea party, but we made way too much food, so i'm taking it into work tomorrow.  was planning on making birthday cupcakes for work, but went out for the afternoon to my aunt's instead today and chilled out instead.  unplanned extra cake ftw!

This is one i had baked in Australia, in the right shape and size for the recipe.  this is pre-frosting.