This is the best one ever. Honestly. EVER!
[From The Food Aid Cookery Book, edited by Delia Smith, BBC publication 1986]
New Zealand Moist Carrot Cake
?In my capacity as a cookery writer I have come across a fair amount of carrot cakes in my time but this one wins the crown ? it is simply superlative !?
9oz (250g) wholemeal flour
6oz (175g) raw sugar (muscovado or Barbados)
6oz (175g) soft brown sugar
3 x size 3 (medium) eggs
6 fl.oz (175ml) sunflower oil
2 fl.oz (55ml) soured cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
approx. 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 level teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
11oz (330g) grated carrots
3oz (75g) desiccated coconut
For the topping
4oz (110g) full fat soft cream cheese (eg. Philadelphia) at room temperature
2oz (50g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2oz (50g) sifted icing sugar
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 2, 300F, 150C. You will need one 8? (20cm) round cake tin (lined with greaseproof paper) and two mixing bowls.
In the first mixing bowl you place the eggs, oil, vanilla essence and soured cream, then sieve the sugars (to avoid any lumps) into it as well. Into the other bowl you sift the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, soda and salt.
Now beat the wet ingredients and the sugars together, then fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the carrots and coconut. Mix well to distribute everything evenly, then spoon into the cake tin and bake on the centre shelf for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
When the cake is cool beat the topping ingredients together and spread thickly all over the top.