Carrot Cake

 

Ingredients

175g Light Muscovado Sugar

125ml Sunflower Oil

3 Eggs

140g Grated Carrot (approx 3 large carrots)

100g Raisins

Grated Zest of 1 Orange

175g Self Raising Flour

1tsp Bicarb of Soda

1/2tsp Grated Nutmeg

1tsp Ground Cinnamon

Icing

175g Icing Sugar

Juice of half an orange

Pre heat oven to 180oC and grease a loaf tin. Tip the sugar into a bowl and add the oil and the eggs lightly beat together. Stir in the grated carrot, orange zest and raisins. Sift in the flour, bicarb of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer can be inserted and come out clean,(remember it is a moist cake the skewer might look damp but shouldn't be covered in cake mix). Let the cake cool.

Mix the icing sugar together with the orange juice and pour over the cooled cake, then enjoy. 

Mojito Cupcakes

Ingredients

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Margarine or Butter

4oz Self raising flour

2 Eggs

1tbsp Rum

1tbsp Lime Juice

Zest of half a lime

Mint Syrup

10 Mint Leafs

100ml Water

4tbsp Caster Sugar

Icing

100g Butter

200g Icing Sugar

2tbsp Lime Juice

between 1tsp-1tbsp Rum (depending how strong you like them)

Food colouring

Mint leafs to decorate

Zest of half a lime

Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Whisk the sugar and margarine together until light and fluffy then whisk in one egg at a time. Sift the flour in and add the lime zest, juice and rum. Mix it all together thoroughly and spoon into cupcake cases. Bake for 15-18 minutes until springy to touch and golden brown. Then remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cool prick holes in the surface of the cakes with a cocktail stick. Then in a pan boil the water, mint leaves and sugar for 5 minutes. Remove the leaves and allow to cool a little then drizzle over the cakes. Leave the mint syrup to sink in for about half an hour then make the icing.

Cream the butter and sugar together then add lime juice, rum and food colouring (I opted for a lemon and lime colour) once mixed together  pipe onto the cakes. Then top with a sprinkle of lime zest and a sprig of mint.