Easy Carrot cake recipe

I don't know about you but as I've got older I've started with a tendency to feel guilty about eating cake.  Maybe it's the thought of all that cake going on the hips!  But I feel less guilty if the cake has some redeeming qualities e.g. containing some form of fruit or nuts.  So when I found this cake recipe, well I knew I couldn't go wrong!  It's the carrots you see, makes you feel like you're eating something good, even though you're eating cake!

Again it's another clipping from a magazine, but can't remember which one.

Ingredients -
225g / 8oz Butter or margarine
350g / 12oz Caster sugar - I use granulated if I haven't got any caster
4 eggs, medium
175g / 6oz Self raising wholemeal flour
115g / 4oz Plain flour, sieved with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
350g / 12oz Peeled and grated carrots

Topping -
115g / 4oz Soft cheese, Philadelphia type
Icing sugar to taste
Rind and juice of half a lemon - I don't tend to use this as it can make the icing quite runny, then you have to add more icing sugar


Method -

1.  Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat together until well mixed - I did say it was easy!
2.  Spoon into a greased and lined 20cm / 8" cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven 180 Deg C / 350 Deg F / Gas Mark 4, for 45 - 55 minutes.
3.  Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to go cold.
4.  Mix together topping ingredients and spread over the cake.


Enjoy and don't feel guilty about eating it - it's got carrots in it!  And home-grown ones too, I hope, another way of using an abundance of veg!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 9

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £1.80
3 x bags tomatoes £3.00
1 x Cucumber £0.70

Expenses -
Nil

The best and easiest crumble recipe EVER!

This is just the best crumble recipe ever, or so I've found up to now!  AND it's so easy - Bonus!

I even make double batches because it freezes so well.

Taken from Prue's New Country Kitchen, by Prue Coats, pages 152-153, which is available on Amazon, starting at just one penny, plus P&P.

900g Fruit - any you like, I frequently use apples, plums, rhubarb, rasps, or even a mixture of tinned fruit.
Sugar

175g Plain flour
110g Butter
110g Demerara Sugar - to be honest I just use whatever I've got, light brown, granulated white etc
75g Rolled Oats - again I use whatever oats I've got - porridge etc
75g Flaked almonds
75g Ground almonds

Pre heat oven to 200 Deg C/400 Deg F/Gas Mark 6
Cook the fruit lightly, spoon into a dish and allow to cool, sweeten to taste with the sugar if required - I don't tend to bother cooking or sweetening it before I put it in the oven.

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs
Mix in the rest of the other ingredients
Spoon over the fruit and bake for 30 - 40 minutes
Serve with custard, ice cream, creme fraiche - whichever is your favourite

ENJOY!