Overview:
By: Antonia
Meal Type: Dessert
Cook time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 15 Generous Squares
Here is Blake & Bull community member Antonia's recipe for the ultimate carrot cake tray bake suitable for your Aga range cooker. A deliciously moist cake, modified from an old American recipe handed down through the generations of Antonia's family.
Antoniauses cups here to measure, a simple method for measuring. If this boggles your brain a little, then I found this article by The Spruce Eats super useful. I had never thought to loosen compacted dry ingredients before measuring!
Antonia's notes - "I love making traybakes in my Aga range cooker. Using pre-cut liner to fit the half size ‘fits on runners’ roasting tin means that lining the tin takes a matter of seconds. They are also so easy to portion which makes them ideal for selling on cake stalls at summer fêtes or school bake sales. This is a sticky, moist carrot cake adapted from a family recipe. It is easy to adapt: try pecans instead of walnuts (or leave the nuts out altogether), add orange zest to the cake and a little orange juice to the icing or vary the spices (nutmeg or ginger would be good additions)."
This recipe is the perfect fit for fits on runners half size roasting tin and pre-cut non stick liner
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup soft brown sugar
- ¾ cup sunflower oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup finely grated carrot (approx. 2 large carrots)
- ½ cup crushed pineapple from a tin
- ½ cup sultanas
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
For the icing
- 50g full-fat cream cheese
- 50g softened butter
- 150g icing sugar
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
You may need...
- A fits on runners half size tin
- A pre-cut dishwasher safe liner
- A mixing bowl & wooden spoon
- A cold plain shelf
Method:
- Line the half size roasting tinwith a pre-cut liner. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Stir together to combine.
- In another bowl, mix together the sugar, oil and eggs. Pour the ‘wet’ mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir to combine (be careful not to overmix). Stir in the grated carrot, pineapple, sultanas and walnuts.
- Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared roasting tin. Hang on the lowest set of runners in the baking oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. If you have a 2-oven Aga range cooker; hang on lowest set of runners in the roasting oven with the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners. Check after 25 minutes.
- The cake is done when the top feels firm when lightly pressed and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the icing; sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese and butter and beat together thoroughly with an electric whisk until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Add the lemon juice and beat again.
- When the cake is completely cool, spread the icing on top and cut into squares. You may like to decorate the top with walnut halves.
For more glorious pics have a look through Antonia's instagram account, I can easily get lost for hours looking through all the delicious recipes that our followers share!
I would love to add your photo of this bake to our baking guide, remember to take one before you guzzle it up!