Orange and Carrot Cake. The Best Cake. Ever.

Hurrah we are off on holiday to Madagascar!  As my leaving present I give you my new favourite cake recipe.  It is completely and utterly divine and loved by adults and toddlers alike despite being pretty heavy on the carrots (I took some for a lunch party yesterday and the 2 year old wanted 'more and more and more').

It is so moist and stays highly edible for days, if you keep it in the fridge.  And best of all you just chuck all the ingredients in a bowl, stir, and then cook.  And if you have a few pieces going wanting just heat them up in the microwave top with sugar dissolved in orange juice and serve it as a hot pud with custard.  How wonderful is that?!

Ingredients

150 g unsalted butter, softened
1 orange
150 g brown sugar
175 g carrots, peeled and grated
2 large free range eggs
200 g self raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly butter a 900 g loaf tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.
2. Finely grate the orange zest and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and the juice of half the orange.  Beat well until fully combined.  Pour into the tin and level the top.

3. Cook for 1 hour or until a skewer or cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out just clean.  Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the greaseproof paper and allow to cool on a wire rack.

So so so delicious.