Warm and Rustic Carrot Cake

As I sit down to share another recipe, I wonder why this carrot cake recipe wasn't shared with you earlier. Lack of photos maybe...Hmmm...
Carrot Cake has been my all time favourite of cakes and I know quite a number of friends who love it too.
These little orange-y specks of carrot not only enhances the look of this rustic cake but they also contain useful amounts of vitamins. And as if that wasn't enough nutrition for a day, I add eggs and a generous amount of walnuts too!
This time I made it without nuts and one of my secret ingredient....not a secret anymore, I suppose...Orange zest is missing. I had to use the carrots and I did not have an orange. You could just make it without the zest like I did this time but what the zest does is, it lends this subtle freshness which immediately elevates the cake to a different level altogether! Its amazing how a little of something makes sooo much of a difference, isnt it?

Ingredients:
(Adapted from allrecipes)

Carrots (peeled and grated)   330g
Flour   250g
Baking Powder   9g
Baking Soda   6g
Salt  3g
Cinnamon Powder   5g
Eggs   4 nos
Vegetable Oil   250ml
Sugar  300g
Vanilla extract  10ml
Zest of 1 orange
Walnuts (roughly chopped)   100g

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170*C and grease and line a 9" cake pan.

2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and add cinnamon and salt to it.

3. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar till well mixed. Add the zest.

4. Add the flour mix and gently fold into the egg mixture. Do not over mix.

5. Add the carrots and the nuts.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 40mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Let cool for 5 minutes  in the cake pan. Carefully run a knife around the sides of the pan and invert the pan to take the cake out.

Just as I popped the cake into the oven, my dear friend Aishwarya dropped by and she loves carrot cake too.

Warm carrot cake, Darjeeling tea and light gup-shup with a great friend!!