apple and carrot cake

I like the non-stick bundt pan that Da and I have. Whenever I bake cakes using the bundt pan, the cake rises very evenly. My oven has two heating elements - one on top and one below. There is also a fan at one side of the oven and as such, whenever I use disposable aluminium cake pans, the cake tends to rise in the direction of the fan.

If you prefer muffins to cakes, you can use this recipe and bake muffins instead. The muffins would need to be baked in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

Although the top of the cake looks quite dark in the photographs in this blog, the cake is actually moist and soft. Do give this recipe a try.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1 large red apple (grated)
1 large carrot (grated)
1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

2. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Set aside.

3. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Combine the brown sugar, peanut oil and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until evenly mixed. Stir in the apple, carrot and pecans.

5. Fold in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-stir.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

7. Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean.

TIP

When you grease and flour the bundt pan, be generous with the butter and flour so that the baked cake can be removed from the bundt pan easily.