Wholegrain spelt and carrot cake

Makes 1 X 22cm cake Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the tin and line it with baking paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and honey for around 10minutes, until light and fluffy. Keep whisking and add the oil slowly, as though making a mayonnaise, until emulsified. The batter will thin slightly, so don’t panic if it doesn’t continue to thicken.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Add to the egg mixture in three batches, folding gently between each addition until incorporated. Add the grated carrot and chopped walnuts in three batches, folding gently between each addition until incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure they are evenly distributed through the mix and don’t sink to the bottom.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

To make the cream-cheese icing, cream together the icing sugar, butter and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until pale and smooth. Add the cream cheese a little at a time, continuing to mix at a medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the cream and mix until thoroughly combined and you have a spreadable consistency. Be careful not to over-mix it, otherwise it will split.

When the cake has cooled, cut it in half horizontally and place the bottom half onto a serving plate. Fill the cake by spreading it with half the cream-cheese icing, and then replace the top. Cover the top with the rest of the icing and decorate with walnuts, if desired.

This recipe was taken from the May 2020 issue of Food and Travel.

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