Carrot tray bake

I do love a good indulgent piece of carrot cake, this is not a recipe for that style of cake. This is a carrot cake for the days when you need your cake to be less sweet, less showy. It's also perfect if you are not a fan of layers of frosting and the accompanying sugar rush.

It's a great cake to have with a cup of tea, as a small snack that will not ruin your appetite for whatever deliciousness you have planned for later on.

We both liked the flavour of this cake, not very sweet which allowed the carrot, cinnamon and raisins to shine. It was a good texture not too crumbly which made for easy eating. The maple syrup icing was a last minute addition, but a welcome one adding just a little interest. I added chia seeds, purely because I love them and am adding them to everything, feel free to use poppy seeds or just leave the seeds out.

Carrot tray bake

200g carrot, finely grated

120ml maple syrup

180ml almond milk (dairy milk is also fine)

75ml groundnut oil, or other flavourless oil

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 

170g white spelt flour (plain white is also fine)

2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch salt

2tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp mixed spice

10g of chia seeds, or poppy seeds or omit the seeds

75g raisins

A little icing sugar and maple syrup for the top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170C/150CFAN. Line a 8 inch square pan and grease the sides and the parchment with a little oil. I used a pan 7 by 8 inches and did not lime it as it was silcon, it worked just fine.

Mix the wet ingredients including the carrot in a medium bowl. In a large bowl mix all the cry ingredients including the raisins. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients a third at a time and mix, by hand, until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin, level the batter with a pallets knife or spoon then bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden and springy.

Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, and if desired, mix maple syrup with icing sugar to form a fairly thick icing that will still drizzle of the end of a spoon and artistically drizzle across the top of the cake.