Carrot and apple cake with a lemon drizzle icing

I am rather in love with this cake. Apple pieces are showcased to perfection against a backdrop of carrot cake, and the zestiness of the lemon drizzle allows a sweet but fresh finish. As you would expect with carrot and apple in the mix, the cake is moist (but not too moist) and it is sturdy enough to be sliced and taken on a walk (I know this because I did so).

I adapted this from a supermarket (Tesco) recipe and my changes included dropping the eggs (I didn't substitute anything else in, figuring the grated carrot would be sufficient, which it was), halving the butter / non-dairy spread component, and reducing the sugar by 25%. You won't miss what I took out because the carrot and apple give moisture and sweetness themselves.

 

You could serve this without the lemon drizzle if you wanted a plainer cake, or with a cream cheese style icing if you wanted something more decadent. I think the lemon drizzle hits a nice halfway mark. I made a reduced batch of drizzle relative to the original recipe, so if you want something thicker or stronger, up the icing sugar component or make a double batch as you prefer.

Carrot and apple cake with a lemon drizzle icing

A delicious vegan loaf cake to serve 10 to 12

Author: Adapted from a Tesco recipe

Print recipe

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, grated

3 medium apples, peeled and chopped

50g (approx. 4 tbsp) non-dairy spread

150g (approx. 2/3 cup) white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

190ml (3/4 cup) non-dairy milk of choice

300g (approx. 2 cups) plain flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

Juice of 1/2 lemon

75g (approx. 2/3 cup) icing sugar

Drizzle warm water, as needed

Method

Preheat your oven to 170'C / 325'F and line a loaf tin.

Grate the carrot and chop the apples and then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the non-dairy spread, sugar and vanilla. When creamed, add the non-dairy milk and stir through. Add the flour, baking powder and spice and stir through until fully combined.

Stir in the grated carrot and apple pieces.

Transfer the batter to your prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes. Cover the cake with some foil (to avoid the top browning) and return to bake for a further 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool until almost room temperature before icing.

To make the icing, whisk together the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of warm water to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle over the top of the cake and sprinkle with extra icing sugar if desired.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

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