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Spiced mandarin and carrot cake

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 and 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!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 people
Cuisine: Fusion
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

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

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 175 C degrees. Grease and line a springform cake tin.
  2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, mixed spice and pinch of salt together in a bowl.
  3. 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.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently until you get a smooth batter.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the springform.
  8. Transfer the cake to a wire-rack and allow to cool completely.