Carrot & Sultana Cake
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 40 Minutes
Serves 8
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.
Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.
Decorate with topping of choice.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
¾ cup caster sugar
1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups shredded carrot
¾ cup tinned pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup Sunbeam sultanas
Icing
250g unsalted butter, softened
5 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Recipe Collection
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.
Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.
Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.
Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir. Add flour and spices and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.
Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top. If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove. To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.
This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.
Crispy Chocolate Puddings
- Lightly oil 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans. Combine chocolate and butter in a microwave proof bowl and heat on medium setting for 1 minute, stir well. Return to microwave in 10 second bursts if required to continue melting.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice bubbles, sultanas, walnuts and coconut. Mix well. Add melted chocolate and stir until all ingredients are well coated in chocolate. Spoon between prepared muffin pans, pressing mixture in firmly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Slide a small spatula down the side of each muffin cup to remove the chocolate pudding. Turn upside down and spoon on some melted chocolate to resemble custard. Decorate with sprinkles.
Fruit and Nut Easter Eggs
Combine mixed fruit, dates, 90g seed mix, 80g hazelnuts, 20g coconut, coconut oil, vanilla essence, coffee and salt in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each into a ball, then shape into an egg shape.
Place remaining seed mix into a food processor and process to a coarse crumb. Transfer to a small bowl. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Pour remaining coconut into a small bowl.
To decorate, roll 6 eggs in coconut, 6 in seed mix crumb, 6 in hazelnut crumb and leave 7 plain. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving cold.
Sticky Date Christmas Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce
TO MAKE THE PUDDING
1. Combine dates, mixed fruit, 280ml water, sugars, salt and butter in large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 mins.
2. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir well and allow to cool completely (preferably overnight).
3. Once completely cool, add eggs, flours, spices and rum. Mix well.
4. Generously grease inside the pudding bowl. Pour the mixture into tin then cover with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil and secure tightly with kitchen string.
5. Place a small cooling rack or an upturned oven-safe dish into the base of a large saucepan. Place pudding bowl on top so that it is not directly touching the bottom of the pan. Fill saucepan with boiling water to come half way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Bring water to the boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 3 hours. Remove pudding from water, allow to cool completely before removing pudding from tin.
TO MAKE SAUCE
1. Combine cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until all ingredients combined.
2. Stir in salt.
Peanut Butter Bites
- Combine currants, sultanas, oats, peanut butter and vanilla essence in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
- Divide and roll into 25 balls and place on top of skewer.
- Dip balls in melted chocolate. Before chocolate is set place two half marshmallows for ears, one pink candy for a nose and Sunbeam currants for eyes.
White Christmas
Melt chopped white vegetable shortening.
Combine rice bubbles, coconut, sifted icing sugar, powdered milk and chopped fruit, mix well.
Add melted shortening and mix thoroughly.
Press mixture into lightly greased and paper lined 28cm x 18cm x 7cm lamington tin.
Refrigerate until firm, cut into bars for serving.
