Carrot & Sultana Cake

Preparation 10 Minutes

Cook 40 Minutes

Serves 8

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Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.

In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.

Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.

Decorate with topping of choice.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

¾ cup caster sugar

1 ¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups shredded carrot

¾ cup tinned pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup Sunbeam sultanas

Icing

250g unsalted butter, softened

5 cups icing sugar, sifted

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

Recipe Collection

Sticky Date Christmas Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

TO MAKE THE PUDDING

1. Combine dates, mixed fruit, 280ml water, sugars, salt and butter in large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 mins.

2. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir well and allow to cool completely (preferably overnight).

3. Once completely cool, add eggs, flours, spices and rum. Mix well.

4. Generously grease inside the pudding bowl. Pour the mixture into tin then cover with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil and secure tightly with kitchen string.

5. Place a small cooling rack or an upturned oven-safe dish into the base of a large saucepan. Place pudding bowl on top so that it is not directly touching the bottom of the pan. Fill saucepan with boiling water to come half way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Bring water to the boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 3 hours.  Remove pudding from water, allow to cool completely before removing pudding from tin.

TO MAKE SAUCE

1. Combine cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until all ingredients combined.
2. Stir in salt.

Apple Pie with Raisins

Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

  1.  Peel and core apples, cutting into eighths. Tossing in a saucepan with the lemon juice as they are prepared.

  2. Add the raisins, sugar, butter and cinnamon stick to the apples. Simmer, stirring often for 10 minutes until sugar has dissolved and apples are just tender. Set aside to cool.

  3. Press one of the pastry sheets into a lightly oiled round 22 x 5cm pie dish. Trimming edges where required. Brush edges with egg wash. Sprinkle the base with almond meal. Cut the second pastry sheet into 3cm wide strips.

  4.  Spoon cooled apple mixture into pie dish, discarding any excess liquid. Lay strips of pastry over the top of the apple mixture, to form a lattice pattern. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds and the additional sugar. Bake for 35 minutes until pastry is golden. Serve warm with cream.

Mini Fruit Tarts

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Add fruit mince in an even layer into tart case.

Cut out star shapes from shortcrust sheet.

Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.

Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

 

Mini White Choc Puddings

  1. Sift flours, mix in breadcrumbs, cranberries, currants, pistachios, chocolate and rind.
  2. Cream butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, pour in condensed milk and vanilla beating continuously. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the breadcrumb mixture and pour in butter mixture, mixing well to combine.
  4. Prepare 8 mini pudding basins (200ml capacity): Cut 8 baking paper circles fitting the top, 8 circles fitting the bottom of the pudding basins and 8 circles 6cm larger than the basins. Grease well and insert a paper circle into the bottom of each basin.
  5. Spoon mixture into prepared ¾ cup basins, smooth and top with a paper round. Take the 6cm round and fold a 1cm pleat in the centre. Tightly secure with kitchen string approximately 1 – 2cm below the pudding top.
  6. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan and arrange puddings on top. Add enough boiling water to fill halfway up pudding basins. Cover and steam for 1 hour, replenish water when needed. Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before carefully turning out. Serve with caramel brandy sauce.

Caramel brandy sauce

  1. Place sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a medium saucepan, cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to change to a caramelise. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Pour in brandy and cream, mix well.

Tip: These puddings can also be steamed in the microwave. Ensure your moulds are microwave safe, cook in microwave on defrost setting for 20 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out.

Sweet Treats

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

  1. Combine oats, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, almonds, walnuts, oil and honey in a bowl. Mix with hands compacting together. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and then stir and return for another 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in currants and sultanas and bake for a further 5-8 minutes to ensure the granola is evenly golden brown.
  3. Allow to cool completely before serving with milk or a good dollop of yoghurt.

Hot Cross Cookies

 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
  • Beat butter, vanilla, sugars and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and bicarb soda, in two batches. Stir in fruit, nuts & chocolate.
  • Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.
  • Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.
  • Once cookies are cooled, pipe cross with melted white chocolate.

Notes: Each cookie weighed 50g before cooking to make 24. Keep a few extra currants and choc chips to add to cookies when removed from oven to decorate top.
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