This is very straightforward and easy to make and tastes just as good as the complicated versions. It can be made plain, or pineapple and nuts may be added.

Ingredients

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g soft brown sugar

2 eggs

125 ml oil (vegetable or sunflower types, not olive oil)

1/2 zest of one lemon and 1/2 zest of one orange ( or just use one orange OR lemon)

100g carrots, finely grated

75g chopped walnuts if desired

110 g pineapple pieces, drained and finely chopped, if desired

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

60g butter at room temperature

25g icing sugar

125g cream cheese (like Philadelphia)

How to make it

Heat the oven to 150C / 130 C fan oven / Gas Mark 2. Line a cake tin about 20cm across or aBOUT 7″ square.

1. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar.

2. Beat the eggs together with the oil and citrus zest.

3. Stir the carrots into the oil mixture.

4. Stir the carrot and oil mixture into the flour mixture and combine as evenly as possible.

5. Fold in the nuts and pineapple if used.

6. Spoon the mixture into the tin, level out the surface and bake for about 1 hour – 1 hr 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.

To make the icing.

1. Beat together butter and icing sugar until soft.

2. Beat in the cream cheese.

3. If you have time chill the mixture in the fridge until it’s thick and spreadable, and then spread a thick layer on top of the cake.  If you are in a hurry you can just spread the icing straight on top of the cake, but it might be a little runny.

Tags: baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, butter, cake, carrot cake, carrots, cinnamon, cream cheese, eggs, icing sugar, lemon, orange, pineapple, plain flour, soft brown sugar, sunflower oil, wallnuts
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Ingredients
Base
50g (2 oz) butter
150g (5oz) chocolate digestives (crushed)
Filling
175g white chocolate (we used Tesco’s own). (Don’t use Milky Bar)
200g full fat cream cheese (1 tub)
1 egg
75 ml soured cream
3/4 teasoon vanilla essence

How to Make it
1. Preheat oven to 160C / Fan 140C / Gas Mark 3

2. Grease the base and sides of a pyrex pie plate.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.

4. Stir in the crushed biscuits (put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin).

5. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the base of the pyrex dish. Chill in the fridge.

6. Break the white chocolate into a bowl and melt over a pan of boiling water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is smooth and runny.

7. Whisk the cream cheese and eggs together in a large bowl until smooth, then add the soured cream and vanilla and whisk again until completely smooth with no lumps.

8. Stir in the melted chocolate and mix well.

9. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until firm round the edge and just set in the middle

10. When it comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen it, then allow to cool and then chill in the fridge.

11. To be posh you could decorate with strawnberries or dust with sieved cocoa or drinking chocolate powder.

Tags: butter, chocolate digestives, cream cheese, egg, soured cream, vanilla essence, white chocolate
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Ingredients

4 oz package of cream cheese (like Philadelphia)

1 small egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)

12 slices white bread

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

How to Make Them

1. Set oven to 400F / 200C

2. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk and 1/8 cup sugar until smooth. Set aside.

3. On a plate with a rim, mix together the remaining 3/8 cup sugar and cinnamon.

4. Cut the crusts off bread and roll flat with rolling pin.

5. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the slices.

6. Rollup each slice like a swiss roll.

7. Brush each roll with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat well.

8. Place on greased or lined baking tray, seam down.

9. Bake for 10 – 12 mins until golden brown.

These will freeze well unbaked.

Tags: Bread, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, egg, granulated sugar
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