Spicy Carrot Tea Loaf

Hi people!

Sorry I’m sharing this today instead of yesterday, when I’m not blogging I’m cooking or shopping 🙂 in that order.

Still on lent/fasting recipes, this loaf can serve as an inbetween snack with a hot cut of tea, hot chocolate or a glass of smoothie. This tea loaf hardly lasts at home and is quite filling. I love the crunch of nuts in it and the little bursts of extra sweetness the raisins give, it has become a staple snack in my home, I suggest you do same.

Some points to note in the recipe is, it originally made with castor sugar but I prefer light brown sugar instead. It’s rich and adds a depth of sweetness for me, it also makes the cake extra moist but especially crumbly but I don’t mind at all. The cake literally disappears in my mouth, it’s that good! The mixture always give me extra after I have poured the batter into the loaf pan before baking, so what do I do? I improvised by doubling foil take away packs as my half loaf pan 🙂 , you can use a mini loaf pan if you have one.

Now lets get on with the recipe.

Ingredients : ( makes 1 1/2 loaves)

1 1/2 cups plain flour

3 cups freshly grated carrots

1 cup sunflower/canola oil

3 eegs

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cups almonds

1/2 cup mixed fruit / raisins

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

*Doubled foil take away pack for the half loaf

Finely grated

Melted butter

Method :

Place oven rack in the middle of the oven, preheat oven on medium which is gas 4 or 350○F/180○C. My gas has just high and low so I put the gas mark in the centre.

Grease the loaf pan with butter then sprinkle loose flour over it so the loaf comes out easily when baked.

Combine flour, spices, salt, baking soda amd baking powder,  basically all the dry ingredients in a bowl and seive 2 times in order to make sure they all mix well together.  Set aside.

Chop the almonds roughly or if using a dry blender, pulse once so it doesn’t become almond powder.

Beat eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy, add oil to it and continue beating until thick and smooth. About 5 minutes.

Add sugar and continue beating until smooth.

What the batter should look like

Stir in the melted butter and carrots.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, pour the carrot mixture and mix carefully.

Stir in the almonds and raisins.

Pour into a greased pan.

Sprinkle some carrots on it if you like *optional

Place pan in the centre of the oven rack and bake for 40-60 minutes, start checking for doneness after 40 minutes. Once an inserted toothpick comes out clean, tea loaf is ready! *place improvised foil pan on the side of the oven rack where there’s less heat otherwise it will burn before the bigger one is baked.

My half loaf

Allow the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes then take it out and eat let it continue cooling on a rack.

Enjoy! 😉

Couldn’t resist a pinch

Store in a plastic container and freeze, take out slices 10 minutes before you’re ready to snack on it so it thaws, you can microwave for 60 seconds if you like.

Have a blessed week ahead!

Azu 🙂 .