Mel's Mini Carrot Cakes
Alison Owens
This is a very old recipe, which originally came from a pre-war cook book. I am a sucker for kitchen novelties and couldn't resist the mini silicone plant pots (found on Amazon), although you could use the real deal – just wash, grease well and pop a paper case in the bottom. A great gift to bring some cheer, just imagine leaving these on your neighbour's doorstep! This recipe could easily be doubled to make a full size cake for a family gathering (one day...).
Carrot Cakes
½ cup vegetable oil
4 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
6 oz plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
8 oz grated carrot
2 oz chopped pecan nuts (optional)
Icing
9 oz full fat soft cheese
1½ oz soft margarine
few drops of vanilla essence
4 oz icing sugar
Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in carrots and nuts, if using.
Spoon into cake moulds or paper cases to about two thirds full (you should get about twelve).
Bake for 20-25mins at 160c, until risen and cooked through.
Beat icing ingredients together, until smooth, then pipe onto cooled buns and decorate as desired.
Happy baking!