Lekker Wortel Koek (Carrot Cake)
Lekker Wortel Koek
As a child, the best part was the mixing bowl: the warm spices, the soft brown sugar, the oil turning everything glossy before the carrots disappeared into the batter like they were hiding.
The smell was unmistakable. Long before the timer rang, the whole house filled with the scent of cinnamon and baked sugar, drifting down the hallway like a quiet promise.
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 150 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 125 ml oil
- 350 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 350 g carrots, finely grated
- 100 g mixed nuts, finely chopped
- 100 g desiccated coconut
- Cream cheese frosting:
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened
- 250 g cream cheese, softened
- 350 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175°C.
- Beat the eggs and sugar very well until thick and pale.
- Gradually beat in the oil.
- Sift together the flour, bicarb, cinnamon and salt and fold into the egg mixture.
- Stir in the grated carrots, coconut and nuts.
- Pour into a large cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes.
- Frosting method:
- Beat the butter until pale, add the cream cheese and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the icing sugar to reach your desired sweetness and thickness; add the lemon juice.
- Spread over the cooled cake. Decorate with chopped nuts or a light dusting of cinnamon.