Three-tier wedding carrot cake

I made this three-tier carrot cake for the wedding of our friends Becky and Luke. It was a really moist and flavoursome cake, given texture with a mixture of plain and wholemeal flour and ground almonds, chopped pecans and rum-soaked raisins, and spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. I topped it with a classic cream cheese icing, and decorated it with a colourful array of fruit to go with the rainbow colour theme of the wedding. 

Beetroot, carrot and apple red velvet muffins

We're in the middle of a heatwave at the moment, and loving getting to eat outdoors. For supper this evening, Lu barbecued a couple of small seabass for each of us, and I made a coleslaw with grated carrot, apple and beetroot. Just a couple of each makes a surprising amount when grated, far more than we needed for just the two of us. My solution, of course - is there ever a better solution, to any dilemma? - was cake.

I decided to make some muffins as I never get tired of how amazingly simple and quick they are to make - no electric mixers required, and hardly even any stirring! I added some red food dye to enhance the amazing beetroot colour, and a spoonful or two of cocoa, to make a cross between red velvet cake and carrot cake muffins - with extra punch from ground almonds and almond essence, and a hint of allspice.

Carrot, orange and almond cake (flourless)

This is another test recipe for Ellie and Ru’s wedding cake in Sark in June – carrot cake is Ru’s favourite so one of the tiers has to be carrot!  I thought as well as a vegan tier (my vegan lemon cake) I’d try to make a gluten-free cake for any coeliacs at the party.  Today we had a sunny bank holiday lunch on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay for my sister’s birthday (who is also a coeliac) so I decided to give it a whirl and we had it in our garden afterwards.  This is a version of a Venetian carrot cake based on a Nigella Lawson recipe, but I’m using orange instead of lemon, and almonds instead of pine nuts.  

Carrot and ginger cake with orange ginger drizzle

Today is the funeral of my dear friend and first love, Will.  After the service we're all gathering for tea and cake, and so this is one of my contributions - a comforting carrot and fresh ginger loaf cake with a lovely orange and gingery drizzle. 

Apple, carrot, ginger and walnut bread (with optional cranberries and crumble topping!)

It's a work colleague, Tim's, last day tomorrow and the office has made him a hamper as a leaving present as he's a bit of a foodie. I was asked to make a cake for the hamper that would be a bit 'unusual' so came up with this - a version of carrot cake but with fresh ginger, grated apple and walnut. Unfortunately I have to give it wrapped up whole, so won't get a chance to taste it - but it looks and smells so good I'll definitely be making this again!
                                                                                                                                                                  

Ahem... I am officially a greedy guts.  I was so disappointed not to have tried tasting this, that the next day I came home from work and made another one! Never able to resist 'tweaking' a recipe, this time I added a crumble topping... and some cranberries. (Told you I can't resist). I've amended the recipe with these 'optional' extras (but I recommend them - it was amazing cake!!)

Carrot cake

A yummy carrot cake to shake off the January blues...