Minute make cake: Carrot Cake

A little while ago we made a minute make chocolate cake, that is, a chocolate cake that cooks in a minute.

So I wondered whether we could do the same for carrot cake. I often think carrot cake is a 'healthy' cake with all that carrot in it and with wholewheat flour instead of white flour so I set about trying to make it even healthier in this recipe. It is not that sweet on its own but when topped with sweet cream cheese frosting, it works.  

This recipe makes three small ramekins and each cooks in the microwave in 1 minute.

Ingredients: 

100g whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

Half a teaspoon of mixed spice (you can make your own if you don't have any - see below)

20g maple syrup

5g honey

50ml rapeseed oil

30ml milk

20g walnut pieces (plus extra to garnish if desired)

1 carrot (approx 80g) grated.

A little fry light spray to oil the ramekins

Method:

1. As with the chocolate minute make cake, you can try using mainly one bowl placed on the scales and weighing things straight into it to reduce washing up. Spray a little frylight oil into small ramekins (or you can even use a mug as long as its microwaveable).

2. With the exception of the grated carrot and walnut pieces, add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.

3. Add the grated carrot and walnuts and mix again.

4. Spoon the mixture between the three ramekins.

5. Microwave each one in turn in the microwave on full power for 1 minute (you will know your microwave best so if it is a lower wattage then it may need longer, if higher, then a minute should be just right. Ours is 800w to give an idea). 

6. Allow to cool a little whilst making some cream cheese frosting. 

For the cream cheese frosting you will need a 2:1 ratio of icing sugar to full fat cream cheese. Place in a bowl and mix until combined. This turns out runnier than the usual cream cheese frosting found on carrot cake but is great for drizzling over (and you don't need to wait until the cake is completely cool as the frosting is runny anyway). Add a walnut piece on top if desired. 

If you don't have any mixed spice you can make your own by mixing together the following (I don't use ground cloves but technically I think mixed spice does usually have ground cloves in). Remember this carrot cake recipe and other recipes requiring mixed spice usually only need a small amount so the amount you make here will last a while.

Mixed spice recipe:

1 tbs ground cinnamon 

1 tbs ground all spice

1 tbs ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground mace

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

The great thing is that you can tweak this to get it tasting just how you prefer. I'm usually generous with the cinnamon and add less mace than is suggested because that's how I like it. 

I used maple syrup for this cake as I had a little left at the end of a bottle that I wanted to use up - you could use a little more honey in place of maple syrup if you prefer. 

So there you have it. Carrot cake in a minute!