Friday Feast: Carrot Cake

MAKES 1 CAKE
(DIAMETER 20CM/8IN)
CAKE MIXTURE

• 2 eggs
  
• 120ml maple syrup
  
• 75ml mild vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
  
• ¼ tsp black cardamom seeds
  
• 4 cloves
  
• 150g wholemeal spelt flour, plus extra for dusting
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• pinch of grated nutmeg
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 300g carrots, peeled and finely grated
  
• 60g dried apricots, chopped
  
• grated zest of ½ organic orange
  
• 40g pumpkin seeds
  

ICING

• 150g full-fat cream cheese
  
• 150g yogurt of your choice
  
• 25g acacia honey
  
• 2–3 drops vanilla extract
  
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
  

DECORATION

• edible flowers and pumpkin
  
• seeds (optional)
  

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Beat the eggs and maple syrup in a bowl for several minutes with an electric whisk, gradually adding the oil. Finely grind the cardamom and cloves using a pestle and mortar. Combine the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a second bowl, add to the egg and oil mixture, and mix briefly. Fold the grated carrot, apricots, two-thirds of the orange zest, and the pumpkin seeds into the mixture.
   
2. Grease a springform tin (diameter 20cm/8in) with oil and dust with flour. Transfer the cake mix into the tin, smooth the surface, and bake in the centre of the oven for 35–40 minutes, until risen and golden brown. When an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. Carefully turn the warm cake out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
   
3. For the icing, mix all the ingredients with most of the remaining orange zest and stir until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining orange zest and, if desired, decorate with edible flowers and some pumpkin seeds.
   

READ Natural Baking by Carolin Strothe and Sebastian Keitel. DK, 7 March 2019, £12.99.

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