Carrot Cake and Charity Bake sale.

Ok so the end of last week was pretty much taken up by baking so even though Sunday is usually my baking day I havn't made anything today (Although I did make some sushi), Wednesday was when I made the Chocolate cupcakes and Ice cream cone cakes (Which I'm naming conecakes) Then Thursday I made a Carrot Cake. And It was all in aid of a charity bake sale that was running at my work for Macmillan nurses.

I decided on cupcakes because I couldn't help myself, They're my favourite to make. Then I decided to make a carrot cake as it's something that always goes down well at these type of things.

So I got to work and around mid morning started helping to set up the table with the organisers while people just kept arriving with more and more great homemade treats. The table looked awesome.

Here it is:

 Don't they all look scrummy! We have alot of talented bakers at my work. You can see my cupcakes fron the last blog and also my carrot cake all sliced up and ready to go near the bottom right hand corner.

 Some one even brought in the cutest cupcake stand.

I think it was a great success, We started selling cakes at 10am and there was a big crowd and within an hour most of the cakes had gone. I love helping out at things like that it's always so much fun to see what everyone makes and get some new ideas.

I didn't Take any individual pics of my Carrot cake  as I didn't finish it until late on Thursday and I was so tired I forgot. But I'll still post the recipie as I've used the same carrot cake recipie for a few years now, it does have quite a few ingredients but it's a really easy cake to make and it always gets lots of compliments on the taste.

Here's how it's done:

2 x 8 inch cake tins (You can use 6 inch for a slightly smaller but taller cake)
Baking Paper
8oz/ 225g Carrots
8oz/ 225g Self raising flour
2tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt
5oz/140g Soft brown muscavado sugar
Zest of 1 Orange
2 tsp Cinnamon
4oz /115g Chopped Hazelnuts
2oz/55g  Desicated Coconut
2 large Eggs
1/4 pint /150ml Sunflower oil
Juice of 1 Orange

For the frosting

8oz/225g Cream Cheese
3oz/ 85g Butter
5oz / 140g Icing sugar

Preheat oven to Gas 4 / 180 deg C, grease and line the cake tins.
Peel the carrots and grate or use a food processor and blitz them for a few seconds. Seive the flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix in the carrots, salt, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, nuts and coconut. Beat the eggs and add to the mix. add the oil and orange juice and mix well till all the ingredients are combined. Spoon half the mixture into each tin and bake for 50 - 60 mins or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.  Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completley.

While the cake is cooling make the frosting, beat the chese and butter together till combined then beat in the icing sugar till soft and creamy. (It should be quite a soft consistency) Then take half the frosting and spread all over one layer of the cake then place the other layer on top and use the rest of the frosting to cover. You can leave the frosting smooth or use a fork to make pretty swirls, Put the cake in the fridge to chill before tranfering onto a clean plate or board.

If you have time you can even use marzipan and food coloring to make little carrots to go on top!

And thats it. I really encourage you all to try this recipie even though it does involve quite a few ingredients it's worth it.

Let me know if you make one! I'm now off to think of what cake to make next.

Bye for now

Cupcake Kris