Carrot Cake Made Easy!

I must admit even though I adore carrot cake I always thought the grating of carrots is extremely daunting. The first thing I wanted to try out when I got the Kitchen  Aid is making carrot cake, and it turned out to be enjoyable experience using this beautiful machine.

Carrot Cake Recipe 

150g light brown sugar

50g caster sugar

240 ml Vegetable oil

3 eggs

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

230 g self raising flour

2 large carrots grated

90g chopped walnuts

Icing

200g cream cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

90 g icing sugar

Preheat oven on 180C

Beat together sugars,oil, and eggs. Stir in the orange zest cinnamon and ginger. Sift the flower over the bowl, then fold in. Fold in the carrots and walnuts, Tip the mixture into cake tin, Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hour. 

Icing

Beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar, spread over cooled cake.

Note: baking time depends on the oven, in my oven it takes about 30 minutes.

Love Baking ♥ 

My Birthday Gift!

My lovely friends got me this beautiful machine, today I decided to use it for the first time making my usual very popular chocolate cake. I loved the machine it's awesome

Of course before using it I looked up "how to" video on you tube, since Randa went on and on about how heavy this machine and how it is very possible that I may hurt myself using it, I actually did hurt my finger a little bit so I decided to look into how to handle it. 

Anyhow it's easy to use, you just need to understand it's functions and you'll be ok! I loved how it makes the dough it's really something special. 

Thanks to Randa, Hala and my sister Dania.... :) xx

Love Baking ♥ 

Vegetable Tagine

1tbsp olive oil

2 onions peeled and sliced

2 gloves garlic peeled and crushed

2tbsp tomato puree

2tbsp harissa paste (special Moroccon paste hot spice) - I use tomato paste cause we don't eat too much spicy food

4 carrots halved - I chopped in cubes

3 parsnips halved

2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into four

300g butternut squash peeled deseeded and cut into 2.5cm chunks

600ml hot vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground pepper

400g can chickpeas drained

400g can chopper tomatoes 

2tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Heat oil in casserole dish and fry onions for 5 minutes, until soften and brown.

Add garlic tomato puree and harissa past and cook for one minute

Add carrots and parsnips, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, Pour in the stock and season cover and simmer for 25 minutes until vegetable are tender.

Stir in chickpeas and canned tomatoes and warm through for 5  minutes, serve with fresh coriander.

My variations:

You can use regular yellow potato, zucchini and broccoli instead of the suggested veggies in this recipe I tried both and they are wonderful.

For the couscous I used the famous Deema Hijawi's recipe from her book "The secret ingredient", it's the yummyest ever! 

Master Chefs Desert Indulgence!

I joined the Dubai meet up master chefs and the chance to learn 4 different deserts, we made baked cheese cake, Tiramisu, crème brûlée , creme caramel, fantastic mixtures turn into a complete indulgence experience.

Excited for the Baking session next time! 

Keekee's Cookies!

I baked 50 cookies for my nephew who is traveling for a school trip...  yes it took 2 and half hours in the kitchen but I had loads of fun!

Love Baking ♥