Banana, carrot and orange muffin

From apples to bananas and carrots, I feel like I'm going through my alphabet...ABC! Hmm could be an interesting challenge but might be tricky when I get to X.  Can you think of a food that begins with the letter 'X' that I can bake? 

Anyway we digress. This is a really simple recipe, one of those mix everything and bake (my favourite kind) and perfect for breakfast/tea or as a snack. The muffins are really soft and moist and the orange flavour is quite strong. If you don't like the ctirusy tang then either omit the orange zest or put a minimal amount in. I had to put most of these in the freezer so they would last longer otherwise they were in danger of being eaten very quickly! They freeze really well and make an excellent breakfast on the go. 

 preparing the batter - love the colours

 adding the egg whites 

 yummy batter 

 delicious! 

185g flour

150g caster sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon honey

zest of 1 orange

2 bananas, mashed

150g carrots, grated

1/2 cup vegetable oil

• Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add 2 egg yolks, honey and orange zest and mix well. 
• Fold in the mashed bananas, grated carrots and oil.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Add the egg whites to the batter and fold in carefully. 
• Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool on a wire rack. 

Carrot Cupcakes

I used the same Hummingbird Bakery recipe to make these carrot cupcakes as well as the 3 layer carrot cake. Just thought they deserved a post of their own :) Click here for the recipe.

 delicious cupcakes 

 cream cheese frosting 

 sprinkle with chopped pecans 

 voila! 

Carrot Cake

I made this lovely carrot cake as a birthday cake for a colleague at work.  I used the recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook and it turned out really well. I modified the recipe slightly as I didn't have any walnuts to hand but lots of pecans. Everyone was suitably impressed and I think it's probably better than the other carrot cake I made earlier in the year but it's a very close call. I do love a good carrot cake - if you have a better recipe, do let me know!  

adding pecan nuts 

 lots and lots of grated carrots! 

ready to frost 

 layers of frosting between each cake

 3 layer carrot cake which was slightly wonky! 

 topped with whole and chopped pecans 

 with candles :) 

Recipe adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Carrot cake
300g light brown sugar
3 eggs
300ml sunflower oil
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (or ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
300g carrots, grated
100g shelled pecan nuts (or walnuts)

3 x 20cm cake tins

• Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated. 
• Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed. 
• Stir in the grated carrots and pecan nuts but hand until they are all evenly dispersed. 
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. 
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.
• Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 
• When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about 1/4 of the cream cheese frosting over it with a palette knife. 
• Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the frosting over it. 
• Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. 
• Finish with pecans. 

Cream cheese frosting (you need 2 quantities for this recipe) 

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese, cold

• Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment onmedium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
• Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. 
• Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.
• Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
• Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny. 

Carrot pecan cake with maple syrup and orange buttercream

This is a special Father's Day Cake. My brother and I are having a friendly competition as to who's carrot cake is better. I chose a recipe from Fiona Cairns Bake & Decorate and it didn't fail to disappoint. The cake is really moist and spongy with a great flavour of carrots, pecan and orange.  The best bit about this cake for me is the buttercream icing. It had a hint of maple syrup which complemented the flavours of the cake really well. I think I'll add a little bit more maple syrup next time.

adding carrots

ready to go in the oven

fresh from the oven

with icing and pecan nuts

Happy Father's Day!!

For the cake

 175ml sunflower oil

60g pecan nuts, chopped
200g self raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
175g light muscovado sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
250g carrots, finely grated
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
50g unsweetened dessicated coconut (I omitted this as I don't like coconut)

 

For the buttercream

 40g pecan nuts, chopped

80g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp maple syrup
150g unsalted cream cheese
Juice of 1 orange

 

• Preheat the oven to 160C
• Oil a 23cm diameter, 7.5cm deep, round tin and line the base with baking parchment.
• Scatter the pecans – both for the cake and buttercream – on to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, shaking once and watching carefully so they don’t burn. Measure out, separate and set aside the amounts needed for the cake and buttercream.
• Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl.
• In an electric mixer, slowly beat together the oil and sugar for a minute or so until smooth, then gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
• Using a large spoon, gently fold in the carrot, zest, pecans, coconut and finally the flour mixture.
• Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Beat the icing sugar and maple syrup until really light and fluffy (approx 5 mins)
• In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth then fold it into the butter mixture.
• Finally, add the orange juice.
• Spread over the top of the cake and scatter with the pecan nuts.