Carrot cake

This carrot cake was such a success! It was so moreish and moist, everyone loved it. It is great with or without an icing, I prefer it without but some people can't resist a nice bit of sweet icing to top a cake - and there's nothing wrong with that at all!

The one thing to watch out for with this cake is the cooking - when it has started to brown and has come away from the edges it will probably still sink, so leave it in for another 5-10 minutes. It'll be fine so long as it doesn't start to burn.

175g light brown soft sugar
175ml rapeseed oil
3 large eggs
3 carrots, grated
50g raisins
50g walnuts
zest of 1 orange
175g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4/350F
Line a 18cm square tin or a 20cm round tin with greaseproof paper.

1, Whisk the eggs, then mix in the sugar and rapeseed oil.
2, To this mixture, add the carrots, raisins, walnuts and orange zest.
3, In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4 Gently stir the flour into the wet ingredients - it will be more runny than a normal cake mixture.
5, Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake for about an hour - but check it after 45 mins in case your oven is fast. It'll rise quite a lot, so be prepared to leave it longer than you first think because it will sink if you take it out too soon.
6, Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Cut up and enjoy!

Pictured: my lovely sister, who made this one :) 

Pistachio and orange cake

This cake was inspired by a trip to Rome I made two summers ago with my sister. The holiday had many ups and downs, but the food was beautiful and exotic. You think you know what Italian food is; pasta, pizza, fantastic cheese, flavoursome cured meats, and fresh, colourful vegetables. The Romans do eat all the foods we think of as Italian, but they also love meat cuts that we would never dream of. Intestine, testicle, brains. When I went I wasn't far out of vegetarianism, so didn't go for the more exotic meats on the menus, but I know that if I went back I wouldn't be able to resist trying something so unusual.


However, I've gone on a tangent. The cakes (and gelato) we ate were superb. I remembered a beautiful pistachio and lemon sponge, all layered up with whipped cream and probably laced with a liqueur. When I returned home, the first thing I did was attempt to recreate that cake. I did well, I think. I didn't go for the layers of whipped cream but instead made a buttercream topping with lemon juice through it. And I made the cake with orange zest, not lemon. The layers of whipped cream is beautiful, and I recommend that if you prefer the sound of that then to go for it. The buttercream is a nice twist though, with a squeeze of lemon juice through it.


100g raw pistachios
115g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp salt
120ml milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
120g softened butter
100g caster sugar
3 large eggs
the zest of 3 oranges


Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4/350F and grease and line a 20cm round cake tin


1, In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Be careful you don't go too far because you'll end up with pistachio nut butter (which sounds delicious, but not the aim here)
2, In a bowl mix the flour, pistachios, baking powder, cardamon and salt.
3, Combine the milk and vanilla extract.
4, Cream the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy - you can never over-cream!
5, Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time, and then add the dry ingredients and milk alternately.
6, Finally, add the orange zest.
7, Bake on the middle shelf for approximately 30 mins, or until the cake has shrunk from the edges of the tin and the middle is springy to the touch.
8, Remove from the heat, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then take out and place on a cooling rack.


300g icing sugar
100g softened butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract


Cream the butter and icing sugar until smooth, then slowly add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Do this a little at a time to prevent curdling.


You could decorate with whole pistachios or just serve as is. The great thing about this cake is the little cardamon flavour, which leaves everyone guessing the secret ingredient :)

Courgette soup

After spending the day studying and eating strawberries, I wasn't too in the mood to make something elaborate with the 5 courgettes that have been haunting my fridge for a week. It had got to the stage where if I didn't use them this evening, they'd have to be thrown - and that wasn't going to happen.

This soup is so simple, a throw-it-in-the-pan-and-carry-on-eating-strawberries kind of recipe.

5 or 6 medium courgettes, sliced
4 medium floury potatoes, 1inch dice
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
veggie or chicken stock
bay leaf
olive oil
squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper
a green of your choice - I used spinach
optional: single cream
to serve: grated parmesan or pecorino

1, In a large pan, soften the onion with the olive oil, then add the potatoes and garlic. Stir for a few minutes, then add the courgette. Add a splash of water to stop the potatoes sticking.
2, Make up your stock, and add it to the pan to cover.
3, Add the bay leaf and leave the soup on a low heat to simmer for about 20 mins.
4, Check the potatoes are cooked, and add the spinach.
5, When the spinach is wilted, remove from the heat and leave to stand until lukewarm.
6, Using a hand blender or a food processor, blend the soup.
7, Reheat gently and season with salt and pepper. If using, add the cream.

Quinoa and griddled veg salad

A sweet spring day, and lots of work to do.

This salad is filling, healthy and delicious. It can also be served hot or cold, making it perfect for next days lunch. Although I've not tried it, the ingredients would make a lovely vegetarian kebab for a BBQ, served on top of the quinoa as a straight salad. And if you don't fancy the quinoa, you could substitute it for cous cous or bulgar wheat.

Serves 4
100g quinoa - I'm using Biofair tricolore for a more colourful base
1 bunch spring onions
200g feta cheese
A handful of mixed seeds, toasted
1 aubergine
3 courgettes
Artichoke hearts in oil
Sweet peppers in oil
1 lemon
Olive oil
A handful fresh mint
Salt and pepper

1, Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under running water, then add 200ml water. Cover with a lid and simmer for ten minutes, then remove from the heat and leave (lid on) until all the water is absorbed.
2, Cut the aubergine and courgettes lengthways into cm thick slices and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3, Heat a griddle it until smoking and in batches cook the aubergine and courgette until coloured. You can also use a grill to do this if you don't have a griddle.
4, Colour the artichoke hearts and the peppers on the griddle as well.
5, Transfer the quinoa to a large serving bowl.
6, Slice the spring onions and add to the quinoa with the toasted seeds. Mix the griddled vegetables through and squeeze over the juice of the lemon, a good glug of olive oil and salt and pepper.
7, To serve, crumble the feta and tear the mint over the salad.

Vegan beetroot chocolate fudge cake

Saturday night and everyone had to work... cue crazy cake! This delightful creation sends some people up the wall - one girl at work didn't sleep after having a little slice. To others, it's just a very yummy chocolate cake. It's moist to the level of a brownie. And it's dirty little secret: it's very healthy, for a chocolate cake. There's almost no flour in it, and I've quite often forgotten to add the oil at the end and it's still been great. This version is vegan, but if you're not a follower, then subsitute the 3 bananas for 3 large organic/free range eggs. Whenever I make cakes for work, I always feel sorry for the vegan staff who can't have any, so today was their treat, too.

3 ripe bananas
250g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tblsp maple syrup
80g plain flour (spelt would work too)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
25g cocoa powder
50g ground almonds
250g quality dark chocolate
250g cooked beetroot, grated
100ml strong coffee, espresso style
30ml rapeseed/sunflower oil

Preheat your oven to 160 and line a 20cm round cake tin, or treat at brownies and use a square tin.

1, In a large bowl, crush the bananas with a fork until pureed. A mixer would make this easier if you have one, but the manual method works too. Mix the caster sugar, maple syrup and vanilla in thoroughly, until you have a smoothie like texture.
2, In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cocoa powder and ground almonds. Gently fold this into the banana mix.
3, Over a pan of simmering water, place a bowl large enough to hold the chocolate and melt slowly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about ten minutes.
4, While this is cooling, add the beetroot, coffee and oil to the cake mix. It will be quite liquid in comparison to a regular cake mix.
5, Finally, mix in the melted chocolate and pour into the cake tin.
6, On the middle shelf, cook for 1 hour. When this is done, cover with foil and return to the oven for another 45 mins-1 hour.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing up.
150g good-quality dark chocolate
45ml strong coffee, espresso style
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tblsp maple syrup


1, Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2, Mix in the coffee, vanilla extract and maple syrup. The mixture may seize but keep mixing and it will come back to being thick and glossy.
3, Spread loosely over the cake top and sides, swirling with the back of a spoon.


Serve in big chunky slices and wait for the reaction.