Spiced Carrot, Sweet Potato and Orange Cake

. July, 2015
Photography by Claire Aldous.
Spiced Carrot, Sweet Potato and Orange Cake

Winter means warm spices, luscious oranges and the natural sweetness of root vegetables – they all combine beautifully in this dense, moist carrot cake.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup melted extra virgin coconut oil or rice bran oil
finely grated zest 1 large orange
juice 2 large oranges, (you need ½ cup juice)
⅓ cup water
175 ml runny honey 
½ cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
125 grams grated carrots
125 grams grated sweet potato – I used Beauregard
1½ teaspoons each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 x #7 eggs (large), lightly beaten
150 grams ground almonds
75 grams brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
70 grams toasted sunflower seeds
To assemble
Lemon cream cheese icing, recipe below
½ cup purchased lemon curd, optional
⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds
Fresh As freeze dried orange segments for garnish, optional*
icing sugar for dusting

2 x 20cm cake tins, greased and bases lined with baking paper


Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
250 grams cream cheese at room temperature (I use Philadelphia) 
3 tablespoons icing sugar
¼ cup cream
finely grated zest 1 large lemon

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.

Put all the ingredients from the top of the list until (and including) the nutmeg, in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes then take off the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

When cool, beat in the eggs until well combined. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl then stir in the wet ingredients. Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool.

To assemble: Spread half of the cream cheese icing over one cake and place on a serving plate. If using, spread the lemon curd over the second cake and place curd side down on top.

Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake and decorate with the almonds, orange segments and a dusting of icing sugar. Makes 1 cake.


Lemon Cream Cheese Icing​
Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until very light and airy. Slowly beat in the cream and lemon zest until well combined.

*Fresh As products are available at gourmet food stores and some supermarkets