Customer Recipe - Chai Spiced Carrot Cake

Thank you to our dear customer Fatima for sharing this recipe & accompanying blog:

 

I am Fatima Yamani and I have always been very interested about all things chai related.


 
During the Delta variant lockdown, I like many other Sydney siders have been busy cooking and baking for my family! I have an 18 year old son who constantly seems to be hungry. So, my days are kept busy, baking & cooking cuisine from around the globe which I am very passionate about. There is, in my opinion nothing more rewarding than learning about the art of chai coupled with wholesome & nourishing food!
 
Whilst searching for a new cake recipe,  I stumbled across Jamie Oliver’s “Chai Spiced Carrot Cake”.  As I poured over Jamie’s ingredients, I also yearned for a cup of chai to have with this cake.  So, I foraged through my pantry looking for both the ingredients for a spicy carrot cake and some chai. I found a jar of “Turmeric Coconut Nectar Chai” made by “The Chai Room”. It seemed like I had found my secret ingredient to make both a beautiful moist and fragrant cake alongside a much needed cup of chai to unwind after a busy day!

So here is my version of Jamie Oliver’s recipe below. Enjoy!
 
INGREDIENTS
 
·       250 ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
·       4 large carrots
·       1 large lemon
·       100 g  sultanas
·       100 g walnuts
·       280 g plain flour
·       2 teaspoons baking powder
·       1 tablespoon ground ginger
·       1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
·       2 teaspoons ground cardamom
·       ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
·       4 tablespoons sugar candied ginger
·       3 tablespoons of “Turmeric & Coconut Nectar Chai”
·       2 large free-range eggs
·       200 g caster sugar
·       200 g light brown sugar
 
 
Method
1.    Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm traybake tin.
2.    Peel and grate the carrots into a large bowl, then grate in the lemon zest. Mix in the currants, then roughly chop and add the pecans.
3.    In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, all the spices and ½ a teaspoon of sea salt. Dice and add the ginger into very small pieces, then add the chai leaves and mix well.
4.    Whisk the eggs in a mixing jug, then mix in both sugars and the vegetable oil. Pour over the carrots, give it a good stir, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5.    Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6.    Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.