Bunny cake

With a busy, full time job and the wedding looming, cooking for pleasure rather than necessity is a thing of the past. Gone are the days where I meticulously measured, mixed and baked a deliciously sweet, indulgent treat or stood over simmering pans of comforting soups and hearty stews. My cooking has been lacking soul and instead I've been opting for foods that are quick to prepare and even quicker to eat ~ I'm the kitchen queen of stir fries! I've had a few uneventful weekends on the agenda, I decided to rectify the situation and spent the day in my kitchen, whipping up some yummy treats for the family.

There are few things I enjoy eating more than cake. A charming little cupcake topped with perfectly swirled frosting is my idea of heaven, though I'm not fussy ~ sweet jam and smooth buttercream sandwiched between two gorgeously fluffy and moist sponges tickle my taste buds in much the same way!

First on the agenda was my Bunny Cake** {that's just carrot cake to normal folk} and I was surprised by how easy it was. I've never made carrot cake before, but it's one of my favourites. I used the Hummingbird Bakery carrot cake recipe as my basic guide, but tweaked it a little to suit my own tastes. The cream cheese frosting was a disappointment on this cake, and despite tweaking it, it just wasn't 'cheesy' enough. Also, don't be alarmed by the oil. There is no butter used in this recipe so it's a replacemnt, not an addition, and the oil just makes the most deliciously moist cake.

Ingredients

Cake

300g soft light brown sugar

3 large eggs

300ml sunflower oil

300g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

300g carrots, grated {I peeled them, but I don't think I would next time}

100g sultanas {I used about 50g in this cake as my Mama isn't a lover of sultanas, but 100g would be my ideal}

100g pecans, chopped, plus a few extra to decorate

Zest of a small orange
Frosting

300g cream cheese, cold {Philly is usually preferred but I always use mascarpone}

500g icing sugar

50g unsalted butter, room temperature

Method

♥ Preheat your oven to 160c. Mine is a fan oven so if yours isn't, 170c will be fine. Grease 3x20cm baking tins with unsalted butter and dust with flour if you so wish. I didn't.

♥ Put the oil, sugar and eggs into a bowl and whisk, either using a handheld electrical whisk or your swanky Kitchenaid {I want!}. Whisk until they have combined. The mixture might look like it's splitting at this point. Mine didn't, mine mixed well into a pale brown gooey mixture, but it's ok if yours doesn't.

♥ Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and spices, and add in the vanilla extract. Beat again until all of the powders have combined with the goo.

♥ Add in the grated carrots, chopped pecans {I didn't chop mine uniformly, I loved the mixed textures of the chunkier nuggets and finer crumbs}, sultanas and orange zest and stir by hand. Don't literally use your hands... use a wooden spoon. Just don't use your electric gadget.

♥ Divide the mixture evenly between the 3 tins, then place in the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes, but if your oven is temperamental like mine, start checking it after 20 minutes. You want your cakes to be golden brown on the outside and they should 'spring back' when you press down gently on the top. Or, stick a skewer in the thickest part and if it comes out clean, it's ready!

♥ Allow the cakes to cool in the tins slightly before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool.

♥ To make the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese with your electric whisk or swanky Kitchenaid. Add in the icing sugar, small amounts at a time, otherwise you'll be choking on clouds of dust! Hummingbird Bakery frostings are notoriously messy to make, which is why my method differs slightly.

♥ Once the cakes are cool, you can start building them. Put a small dab of frosting onto a plate and put your first layer on top of that. This helps keep it on the plate instead of moving around when you're icing it. Spread some of the frosting over the top of the cake {use as much as you think you need but not more than a quarter ~ I used less}. Put the second cake on top, then repeat. Add the final layer, and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting {I had lots leftover}. Decorate with a sprinkling of cinnamon and extra pecans if you wish.

♥ Resist the urge to eat the leftover frosting. As someone who has done this a few times in the past, learn from my mistake! My Dad didn't listen to me and felt sick for the rest of the night from all that sugar, especially since there was so much.

♥ Cut a slice, make a cup of tea, and find a quiet spot to sit and enjoy a little break. Nom!

What's your favourite cake?

♥

**No actual bunnies were harmed during the baking nor eating of the cake! I just call it Bunny Cake because bunnies love carrots.