carrot cake: hummingbird bakery style

Sometimes you come across a cook book so consistently wonderful you instantly conform to all their baking ideals.

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, is such a book.

My theory being, because all these recipes originated from a bakery which churns out hundreds of each recipe, each year, these recipes have been tested and proven within an inch of their lives.

I'm always dismayed at those recipes which perhaps don't work that well because it's a cold day or the air is too humid. Never fear!

The Hummingbird Cookbook is here!

This is their version of carrot cake, which I made for Mr Magoo's godfather's birthday recently.

I was in a rush, so didn't take my usual step-by-step photos.

Suffice to say, you mix up the cake batter and pour into three sponge tins.

Once cooled, you need to even out the bumps on top - unless you are wishing to emulate the Leaning Tower of Pisa - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Flip the crumby side over and ice with cream cheese frosting.
{that is, the cream cheese frosting leftover from all the "testing"}

Make like a stack of Lego.

Ice roughly - yippee - there is no place for neatness with this.

Scatter with walnuts and cinnamon.

Bring it, baby.

This was an awkward moment - should I let the birthday boy lick the knife, just because it's his birthday, or should it be the cook's treat?

I think we arm-wrestled for it in the end.

{I knew my upper body strength from hauling toddlers in and out of car seats sixteen times a day would pay off eventually.}


Here's the recipe:

Carrot Cake

Before you start: Preheat oven to 170oC (325oF); prepare 3 x 20cm cake tins, base lined with baking paper.

300g light brown sugar

3 eggs

300ml sunflower oil

300g plain flour

1 tspn bicarb soda

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn ground cinnamon - plus extra to decorate

1/2 tspn ground ginger

1/2 tspn salt

1/4 tspn vanilla extract

300g carrots grated

100g shelled walnuts, chopped plus extra, chopped to decorate

2 quantities of cream cheese frosting (see below)

Cream Cheese Frosting

300g icing sugar sifted

50g unsalted butter at room temp.

125 cream cheese cold

{cream butter and icing sugar together - add cream cheese in one go and beat until completely incorporated - continue beating until light and fluffy}

Put sugar, eggs and oil in mixer and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don't worry if mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, bicarb soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed.

Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts by hand until they are all evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake for 20 - 25 mins or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Ice with cream cheese frosting as shown above.

Finish with walnuts and a light dusting of cinnamon.


Enjoy!

Meredy xo.