Food

Try our simple carrot cake traybake recipe topped with delicious marmalade and coconut cream cheese icing. It's packed with spices, whole meal flour and carrots, so it's almost, and the cake, without the icing. Ingredients 150ml/¼ pint sunflower oil 100g/4oz soft light brown sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 75g/3 golden syrup 175g/6 whole meal self-raising flour 1 level tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp ground ginger 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g/7 finely grated carrots 75g/3oz sultanas 25g/1oz desiccated coconut For the topping 2 tsp orange marmalade 150g/5oz cream cheese 50ml/2fl coconut cream 40g/1½ icing sugar freshly grated or ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon, to finish Method Preheat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. You will need...

Nothing beats a classic carrot cake – this one has a touch of orange and walnuts plus the obligatory cream cheese icing. Delicious! Ingredients For the carrot cake 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature 200ml/7fl oz sunflower oil, plus a little extra for the tin 250g/9oz carrots, coarsely grated 100g/3½oz raisins or sultanas (optional) 100g/3½oz walnut pieces, plus a few extra for decoration 1 orange, zest only 200g/7oz self-raising flour 2 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp fine salt 200g/7oz light brown sugar For the cream cheese frosting 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 tbsp caster sugar 300g/10½oz cream cheese Method For the carrot cake, preheat the oven to...

A moist chocolate cake that really can’t go wrong and keeps well for birthday parties. It has a wonderful white chocolate icing so the contrast looks stunning too. Ingredients 190g/6½oz self-raising flour 150g/5oz caster sugar 2 level tbsp cocoa powder 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 level tsp baking powder 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 free-range eggs 150ml/¼ pint sunflower oil 150ml¼ pint milk For the icing 200g/7oz white chocolate 150ml/¼ pint double cream 1 x 125g/4½oz tub cream cheese Method Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease and line with greased greaseproof paper the bases of two 20cm/8in straight-sided loose bottomed sandwich tins. Sift the dry ingredients into...

A chocolate cake to die for from Nigella Lawson's Simply Nigella. For this recipe you will need a leakproof 20cm/8in springform cake tin. Ingredients For the icing 75g/2½oz coconut butter (this is not the same as oil) 50g/1¾oz soft dark sugar 1½ tsp instant espresso 1½ tbsp cocoa powder 150g/5½oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped For the cake 225g/8oz plain flour 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp fine sea salt 1½ tsp instant espresso powder 75g/2½oz cocoa powder 300g/10½oz soft dark brown sugar 375ml/13fl oz hot water, from a recently boiled kettle 90ml/3fl oz (or 75g/2½oz if weighed when solid) coconut oil 1½ tsp cider vinegar  1...

Mary's going to be so proud that you made your own hot cross buns this Easter. Lucky thing her recipe is completely foolproof.For this recipe you will need a piping bag fitted with a 3mm nozzle, but if you don't have a nozzle you could use a piping bag or plastic food bag and snip the end off. Ingredients 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 75g/2¾oz caster sugar 2 tsp mixed spice powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 lemon, finely grated zest only 10g/¼oz salt 10g/¼oz fast-action dried yeast 40g/1½oz butter 300ml/10fl oz milk 1 free-range egg, beaten 200g/7oz sultanas 50g/1¾oz finely chopped mixed candied peel oil, for greasing For...