Our Shetland Wool Adventures tours are designed to give an insight into Shetland’s knitting traditions and local textile industry. Each trip offers a blend of workshops and classes aimed at opening up the world of Shetland knitting, with walks and excursions to introduce the landscape and history of the islands. We visit some of Shetland’s most scenic locations and sample delicious local produce too. And there is always tea and cake!
The carrot cake is one of the favourites and as I promised the recipe to many of you, I’m finally getting a chance to share it here.
I hope you enjoy it!
Serves 8
Ingredients
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150g dark muscovado sugar
200ml vegetable oil
3 medium eggs
250g carrots, peeled and roughly grated
70g chopped walnuts
For the icing
175g cream cheese
Finely grated ring of 1 washed orange
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F / gas mark 2, 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil and line the base of a deep 15cm / 6inch round cake tin with baking paper.
Sift the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl. Stir in the dark muscovado sugar and mix together. Lightly whisk the oil and eggs together, then gradually stir into the flour and sugar mixture. Stir well.
Add the carrots and walnuts. Mix thoroughly, then pour into the prepared cake Tim. Bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes, or until light and springy to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.
To make the icing, beat together the cream cheese , orange rind, orange juice and vanilla essence. Sift the icing sugar and stir into the cream cheese mixture.
When cold, discard the baking paper, spread the cream cheese icing over the top and decorate with blueberries or blackberries.
Enjoy!
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Dear Misa! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. We tried it last weekend and the cake was very good – even with the Ingredients we have to use here in Germany. How good must the cake be with the original shetlandic ingredients 😉
Stay safe & “alles Liebe”
Christine
Hello Christine, thank you for getting in touch. I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed the cake! All the best from Shetland, Misa
Hi Misa – I made this as a birthday cake yesterday and everyone from 6 – 68 pronouced it the “best carrot cake ever”. It may have been the first time I made it but it will not be the last – a real crowd pleaser in San Francisco! Caroline
Hello Caroline, I’m so happy to hear that – I really love that cake and so does everyone on my tours. It’s a winner. All the best from Shetland 🙂
Thank you. Can’t wait to make it!!