For the carrot cake

50ml Apple Juice
100g sultanas (soaked in the Apple Juice above)
250ml rapeseed oil
4 eggs
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of table salt
350g soft dark brown sugar
80g walnuts, roughly chopped
80g pumpkin seeds
125g coarsely grated (unpeeled) eating apples
250g coarsely grated carrots (preferably with their skins on – wash well and pat dry before grating)

For the candied carrot

100g caster sugar
100ml cold water
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g coarsely grated (peeled) carrots

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 and grease and line a cake tin. Put the apple juice and sultanas in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk the rapeseed oil and eggs together.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, then stir in the brown sugar, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and grated apples and carrots. Add the oil and egg mixture and the soaked sultanas and apple juice to the flour mixture and stir well. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin even out the surface of the cake.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until risen and deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the candied carrots. Put the caster sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 7 minutes or until the mixture becomes a slightly thickened syrup. Add the lemon zest and juice and grated carrots and simmer for a further 1 minute. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Cooking tips:

The carrot cake will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard for up to 3 days. This cake also freezes well – wrap the cold cake in a double layer of foil or cling film and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature overnight before serving.

Recipe adapted from British Larder