Name: Spiced mandarin and carrot cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 cups self-raising flour; 1.5 cup muscovado sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; Pinch of salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp mixed spice; 3 organic mandarins (or oranges); 2 medium carrots, shredded; ½ cup vegetable oil; 3 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp muscovado sugar to garnish

Spiced mandarin and carrot cake

13 Oct 2019

by Dinna

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

1 hour

Background

I know carrot cake is normally associated with Easter - but I love it so much I make it all year round, adjusting the flavours according to the season. This dairy-free spiced mandarin and carrot cake is perfect for the winter months & festivities – the added mandarin, cinnamon and mixed spice make it very Christmassy. It would be a good cake for Halloween too - in this case don’t puree the mandarin and shredded carrots ( just add the mandarin flesh, zest and roughly shredded carrot for a textured finish. Then decorate it in a scary way!

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour
1.5 cup muscovado sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
3 organic mandarins (or oranges)
2 medium carrots, shredded
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp muscovado sugar to garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 C degrees. Grease and line a springform cake tin.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, mixed spice and pinch of salt together in a bowl.
Peel the mandarins and put one aside. Put the rest (including the rind) into a food processor and whiz until you get a thick puree. Add the shredded carrot and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs and pulse for a few seconds again. Finally mix in the oil and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently until you get a smooth batter.
Tip the batter into the prepared cake tin. Arrange the mandarin slices on top and scatter 2 tbsp of muscovado sugar all over the top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. After 20 minutes or so have a look, if the top is already brown, cover the tin with foil.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the springform.
Transfer the cake to a wire-rack and allow to cool completely.