Carrot & Banana Cake (my version!)

This is a great recipe for using up over ripe bananas and with the inclusion of carrots the cake is lovely and moist aswell.

You will need:

2 bananas, mashed

2 medium carrots, grated

1 egg

150ml olive oil (vegetable oil can be used instead)

150g dark brown sugar

275g flour

1tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Zest of 1 orange

150g of walnuts and/or pecans, chopped (keep 6 whole ones back for decoration)

Frosting:

150g cream cheese (I used light version but full cream is fine)

30g icing sugar

a squeeze of orange juice (or could use dash of vanilla essence)

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (adapt for fan assisted)

Grease and line (i used flour which worked!) a 2lb loaf tin.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil in a bowl. Fold in the banana and the carrots.

Then add the sifted flour, cinnamon and baking powder together and fold into the banana mixture.

Stir in the nuts and the orange zest

Spoon the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the frosting:

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and orange juice in a bowl with an electric whisk.

Cool in fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.

Spread the frosting onto the cake and sprinkle over the extra nuts

Then:

Cut a slice and enjoy with a drink of your choice - in my case a lovely cup of tea!

(This recipe is devised using inspiration from a couple of different ones I have used in the past and adapted to my taste!)