Lush Carrot Cake.

Now this is a definite, continual joy to consume in very large amounts, and the very first proper cake-sized cake I baked. Normally I just bake it plain without any dried fruits or nuts and just take in the moist heaven of the sponge and cream cheese topping. Also normally I bake it as a single layer 9" cake (As in the last photo) but for today's bake I'm whacking it into two 7" tins, adding walnut pieces and filling as well as topping with the cream cheese lushness Mmmmmmm....

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium free range eggs
• 200g Golden caster sugar
• 50g Light muscovado sugar
• 100ml Sunflower oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 250g grated carrot
• 125g pineapple
• 300g plain flour
• 1 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Ground ginger
• 100g Walnut pieces, chopped or whole (Optional)
• 50g Sultanas (Optional)

Cream cheese icing:

• 200g Soft cheese
• 50g Unsalted butter (Room temp)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 200g Icing Sugar

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180c
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, caster sugar and muscovado sugar.
• Add the oil and vanilla extract and mix.
• Blitz the pineapple in a processor to small pieces. I do this at the same time as grating the carrots, just swapping over the blade to grater attachment.
• Add the carrot and pineapple to the bowl and mix.
• Sift the flour, salt, bicarb and spices into a bowl and add slowly whilst just mixing until fully incorporated.
• Put aside as many walnuts as you want to decorate the top, then chop up the walnuts for the sponges into small bits.
• Stir in the chopped walnuts and sultanas.
• Prep your baking tin or tins. Grease and line or use cake release spray.
• Bake for about 45mins. The sponge should just be starting to come away from the tin edge. 
• Check it's baked with a cake tester or cocktail stick, it should come out fairly clean from the centres.
• Cool in the tins for 15 mins, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• For the icing...
• Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and beat for a couple of mins.
• Keep beating and add the vanilla.
• Then sift the icing sugar and add about a third at a time until each amount is well mixed in.
• Eat the entire contents of the bowl. Spread the cream cheese mix as a filling and topping. You might want to chill the icing for 5 mins to make it behave, especially if you have a domed (That's domed, not doomed!) cake. 
• Eat :) 

Here's a few tunes from people that have nothing to do whatsoever with carrot (tops)

La Roux - In For The Kill

Part-time red-head is good enough for me to include some Haley Williams! :D Paramore - Misery Business

Tim Minchin - Taboo :)

I had no idea this existed! - The Carrot Song  Altogether now - "Carrots wear green, furry hats........." YeeeeeeeeHaarrrrrr!

 Finally, for a lush cake, a lush song from Lush - Ladykillers.

Stay carroty people, stay carroty.

Leek and Potato soup.

Well, I say Leek and Potato but it usually ends up with other various veggies in it as well, carrots normally, and sometimes a bit of broccoli.

I started making soups to go with sarnies during the winter months to replace the wonderfully healthy litre flask of coffee I'd get get through before lunch. Now, whilst unemployed, I use it to stop me eating choco based goodies all day, ok, almost stop me...

It's a lovely, basic, thick and tasty soup to see off any winter chills :)

Will serve 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 500g pack of leeks (Or approx weight loose)
• 1 red onion
• 1 white onion
• 3 - 4 medium spuds
• 50g butter
• 5 medium carrots
• Chicken or Veg stock (I use 2 Chick oxo cubes)
• 300ml Milk
• 1 tsp Salt 
• A sprinkling of pepper.
• A sprinkling of Mixed herbs
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 tsp Garlic granules (Optional)

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a 20cm or larger saucepan.
2. Add salt, pepper, herbs and garlic.
3. Trim and remove outer leaves of Leeks and chop to 1cm lengths. Add to saucepan.
4. Chop onions and add to saucepan.
5. Mix together with the butter mix, cover, and leave on a low heat for 10 mins stirring occasionally.
6. Put the stock cubes in a jug and add 500ml boiling water to dissolve.
7. Peel and dice the potatoes.
8. Peel and chop up the carrots.
9. After the 10 mins on low heat, add the potatoes and carrots to the saucepan and stir.
10. Add the jug of stock.
11. Add the milk.
12. Top up the saucepan with water to an inch from the top and stir. Put the lid on, bring back to the boil, then leave simmering for 30 mins.
13. Blend or liquidise. (If using a liquidiser make sure the soup's quite cool just in case your liquidiser jug likes to crack if you put hot soup in it, like, um, mine did years ago and is held together with super glue :) )
14. Eat, or in the case of it not being eaten straight away, re-heat and eat.

...and then I thought, why stick with just one tune!?!

By the way, these are not suitable for work, kids, sensitive people, or aliens wondering whether or not to spare the human race.

A Mahooosive track from Chase & Status ft Mali - Let You Go.

Um, another Mahooosive track from Chase & Status ft Plan b - Pieces :)

And finally, ooooh! Some Chase & Status ft Delilah - Time :D
Released with support for:
REFUGE - For women and children against domestic violence.
http://www.refuge.org.uk

BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE!!! (after letting soup settle)