Sultana and Orange Carrot Cake Recipe
For those days when a piece of cake is on the menu we’ve made a healthier version of carrot cake that tastes just as good. It’s a moist, warmly spiced cinnamon sponge with carrots, sultanas, and zingy orange zest - topped with a light orange icing that tastes amazing.
 Our Sultana and Orange Carrot Cake is still a treat, but simple swaps like using rapeseed oil instead of butter, opting for wholemeal flour and using just a drizzle of orange icing rather than cream cheese frosting make this a much healthier bake. And by using fresh orange, cinnamon, and sultanas, there’s no compromise on flavour.
Serves:Â 15-20 portions
Prep time:Â 25 minutes
Cook time:Â 40 minutes
Suitable for freezing:Â yes
Ingredients:
- 225g light soft brown sugar
- 225ml rapeseed oil
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 225g plain wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 225g carrots, grated
- 115g sultanas
- 1 orange, zested
- 115g icing sugar
- 4 tsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.
- Grease a 28 x 18cm (11 x 7in) cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper; set aside.
- Put brown sugar, rapeseed oil and eggs in a bowl; whisk together using a balloon whisk.
- Fold in flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Fold in grated carrots, sultanas, and orange zest.
- Transfer mixture to prepared tin and level the surface.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off lining paper, and turn cake back over onto another wire rack so it is the right side up. Leave to cool completely before icing.
- In a small bowl mix icing sugar and orange juice together until smooth.
- Thinly spread or decoratively drizzle icing over top of cake; leave to set for 10 minutes.
- Cut cake into portions and serve.
Looking for more low-fat desserts to curb your sweet tooth? Why not try our heart-healthy sweet potato and cinnamon pancakes recipe or our fruit and nut flapjacks from our Healthy Hearts Programme.