Last Minute Christmassy Cake

Step 1

First, preheat your oven to 170C / 150C fan / Gas 3. Line the bottom of a 9-inch tin with baking paper and grease the sides (there’s no point lining the sides if they’re well greased). Peel and (coarsely) grate your carrots and set them aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat together your soft butter and your caster sugar. Keep going until it is totally smooth, light and near white in colour. This can take a while; you cannot overmix at this stage.

Step 3

Whisk in your eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated. It doesn’t matter if your mix curdles. Add in your flour, baking powder and mixed spice and fold in gently using a large (preferably metal) spoon – you only want to JUST bring it together. The mix should still be lumpy.

Step 4

Add your raisins and zest to your carrots, mix together with your hands and finally add this in to your cake mix. Using your big spoon, fold gently until the carrots are evenly distributed. Transfer to your cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a golden brown colour, springy to touch and the edges are coming away from the sides.

Step 5

Once done, cool inside or outside the tin – it doesn’t matter! You don’t need a cooling rack. Once cool, dust with plenty of icing sugar. To get the same effect as me, just draw and cut out a shape on an A4 bit of paper and place it on top before dusting.

Top Tip:

For the traditional, boozy Christmas kick, the night before you make this cake, soak your raisins in 50ml whisky or brandy.

Enjoy!