Saturday, December 10, 2011

Back off bugs

I've been on a carrot hit the last week, mainly as carrots are cheap, I'm stingy and they are quite easy to whack in food without Chuckles noticing. So we have had wraps, stir-fries and finally cake. Although by the time I made it to cake I was running out of carrots and had to supplement with zucchini, which is also cheap and easy to whack in food without Chuckles noticing. The result was an amazing moist fruity cake that if you left off the cream cheese icing would be vegan. I am not vegan so I piled the icing to the sky. Yum!







As you can see Poppet enjoyed her first experience with cake batter.






It also seems that I am pushing carrots on the kids through this years Christmas book. Every year I try and buy a Christmas themed book. I remember being read  A Christmas Carol as a child and to this day Dickens remains a favourite. This years book follows everyone's favourite wombat on a Christmas adventure. 



Having been on maternity leave this year I haven't kept as up too date with recent publications as I would like, so was pleasantly surprised when I encountered this read by a dear friend at a recent storytime. I rushed out and bought it the next day and am pleased to day that it been read at least once a day this week!

Carrotty Fruity Cake

2 cups of flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups grated carrot 
1  cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup oil
1/2 banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sultanas / chopped dates
1/2 cup walnuts
Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to taste.

Preheat oven 180c
Line smallish round tin (large loaf tin would probably also work)

Combine dry ingredients
Add carrot, oil, banana, vanilla and juice.  Stir until just combined.
Add fruit, nuts and spice.

Bake approx. 45 minutes. 

Leave in tin for 5 minutes and then turn on to wire rack to cool. Be careful when turning out as it has a tendency to break.

When cool top with cream cheese icing. 





xxCC