I’ve recently invested in a 6 inch baking tin and its been a game changer for my baking motivation! I’m not a particularly competent baker, too much precision and so much can go wrong. I’m more of an instinctual cook, the alchemy of baking is a mystery to me. So making a large 20 cm cakes seems like a waste of ingredients if it goes wrong but also who is going to eat it if we can’t have people round? Here is where the 6 inch pan (15cm) is perfect, it makes a cake that is made for 2 and it only lasts for a day or 2 depending on if Andreas is home all day. It means I can get cracking on the next cake fairly soon after! (Which I have done with gusto this week- a flourless chocolate cake and coffee and walnut cake coming up- my most prolific baking streak ever!)

I miss office life said no one ever, however I do miss my city lunch at Pret occasionally. So Pret is my inspiration for my first 6 inch bake, their carrot cake is delicious so I hunted around for a recipe and lo and behold who knew they have a recipe book. Weirdly the original recipe has pineapple in it so I’ve scrapped that, boosted the carottyness and added some more spice. It was really satisfying and exactly like the original. This is more of a dense vegetable/nutty cake rather than a spongey cake if you catch my drift! Modified recipe below.

And of course a cream cheese icing is ESSENTIAL. There is no point in making it otherwise!!

Ingredients

30g dessicated coconut

Cream cheese icing

25g butter

small 6 inch cake- 15 cm pan- one layer

As always, prepare all your ingredients before you start. It’s my new thing and saves soooo much faff during cooking. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Cut out a disc of greaseproof paper and place in your greased tin, extra insurance that the cake will come out cleanly.

In a food processor (or beat by hand) the egg and sugar, then slowly add the oil and keep mixing. Mix in flour, spices, baking powder until a smooth batter is formed then fold in by hand carrots, walnuts and coconut.

Splodge into the tin and level. Bake for around 40 minutes or until golden. Cool for about 20 minutes then take out of the tin. I tipped mine upside down and it cleanly fell out. Now cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, cream together the cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and lump free. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until combined. Firm up in the fridge until you are ready to ice the cake. Slather the icing all over the cake and enjoy.