Easter Bunny’s Favourite Carrot Cakes

Ingredients

For the cakes

  • A little melted coconut oil, for greasing 
  • 225g plain flour 
  • A pinch salt 
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 
  • 1 tsp baking powder 
  • 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice 
  • 150g light muscovado sugar 
  • 200g carrots, peeled and finely grated 
  • 2 tbsp orange juice 
  • large eggs, beaten 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 110g coconut oil, melted and cooled 
  • 50g raisins 

To decorate

  • 225g cream cheese 
  • 30g icing sugar 
  • 1 tsp orange zest, finely grated 
  • A small amount sugar carrot decorations 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Grease the bases and sides of the mini loaf tin holes with a little melted coconut oil.
  2. Sift the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and grated carrots.
  3. Mix together the orange juice, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, coconut oil and raisins. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.
  4. Share the mixture evenly between the holes of the mini loaf tin. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out carefully and cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. To decorate, mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar and orange zest and spread over the cooled cakes. Finish each little loaf with sugar carrot decorations.
  6. Tip: You could use melted butter instead of coconut oil, if you prefer.