Appetite Returns

So today is a very exciting day - my appetite has returned! For some, this may not be that exciting, but for me, an avid food LOVER, it is.

My appetite has returned after almost a week of being M.I.A. thanks to the evil man flu that I contracted.

Bung eye has gone (conjunctivitis it was not - blocked tear duct it in fact was). Sleep is still my #1 priority, but I can deal with that. Industrial phlegm (yes gross I know) production is dissipating  and I am beginning to feel less ugly-step sister, and more Cinderella again. Yay!

Okay, so returning to my appetite, I felt it was necessary to share with you the exact food that brought it back. Namely one specific carrot cake. Mmm! So in honour of said carrot cake, I am sharing the recipe with you. Try it. You cannot fail and it is AMAZING (it also uses 3-4 carrots which I conclude as a very beneficial dose of vitamin B and vitamin C).

Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep & Cook time 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil

1 1/3 cups (295g) firmly packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups firmly packed, coarsely grated carrot

1 cup (110g) coarsely chopped walnuts

2 1/2 cups (375g) self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 teaspoons mixed spice

lemon cream cheese frosting

30g (1 ounce) butter, softened

80g (2 1/2 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

1 1/2 cups (240g) icing  (confectioner's) sugar

Method

1. Preheat over to 180C/350F. Grease deep 22cm (9inch) round cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper.

2. Beat oil, sugar and eggs in bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Sit in carrot, nuts and sifted dry ingredients.

3. Pour mixture into pan; bake about 1 1/4 hours (check after an hour). Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, make lemon cream cheese frosting. Once cake is cool, spread frosting over and sprinkle on some left over chopped up walnuts.

lemon cream cheese frosting

Beat butter, cream cheese and rind in a bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.

Tip You will need about three large carrots (540g) to make this recipe. Also, buy a 150g bag of walnuts and use the leftover 40g to sprinkle over the top - perfection!

This recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly Cake Stall Cookbook

I am yet to fail at cooking one of the recipes in the book - a first!