Carrot and Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

For no logical reason it seems to be carrot cake season. I was craving this delicious cake the other day so I baked it for the first time in ages. In Sydney last weekend my friends ordered carrot and walnut loaf at a cafe for brunch then just now on Smitten kitchen, a favourite blog of mine, Deb shared a recipe for Carrot Cake with Cider and Olive Oil Cake http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/10/carrot-cake-with-cider-and-olive-oil/#more-12915. This made me realise I had never posted this favourite recipe on here, I always seem to forget the old favourites. My mum cut this out of a newspaper many year ago, I can still picture the clipping, and it has been a family favourite ever since. 

We seem to have run out of cake in our house, a tragedy when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant and always hungry, so I might have to try the Smitten Kitchen recipe and compare. I also have dates in the fridge so might have to make Date and Walnut loaf http://sharacooks.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/date-and-walnut-loaf.html too, so good slathered in butter. Always good to have options...

Carrot and Apple Cake and Cream Cheese Icing

This makes a great big rectangular cake, but I am sure it would work as a loaf. It is very moist and dairy free as it is made with oil not butter. I like it iced with a thick layer of cream cheese icing but if you want it to be dairy free you could make a lemon glaze icing. Sometimes I leave the nuts out for the kids but I miss them, I might try sprinkling them over the icing on half the cake next time. 

1 C apples, grated (~ 1 large)

1 C carrots, grated (~ 1 large)

2 C plain flour

2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C pecans, chopped (or other nuts of your choice)

1 C oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp bicarb soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Icing

250 g cream cheese, softened

80 g butter or margarine, softened

1 C + icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease a large cake tin, I use a 22 by 35 cm rectangular tin.

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes or just mix thoroughly by hand. Pour into tin. Bake at 180 C for 45 minutes.

Icing

Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until smooth. Add icing sugar and lemon juice and mix until well combined.