Carrot and orange cake

I haven’t baked for ages! To say how often I used to anyway. I always think what I’ve got in and maybe what needs using then think what type of thing I could make and look up one or two recipes to refer to. In this case I got my old Be-Ro book out (love it and use it so much) and cross referenced an orange and coconut cake that sounds nice but was baked for much longer. This one is really moist from the carrot and also because I poked holes in the top to let some of the orange glace icing to drip through.

Ironically I just posted on my Instagram about eating better whilst pregnant – and I am – this cake isn’t for me, well, I might have half a slice later – but for the kids’ lunchboxes.

See, we’re trialing packed lunches for a few weeks. Ideally from now until they break up for summer is the idea, but we’re going to review it to see if they are enjoying it. And, mainly, if I am still coping with the extra work. All signs at this stage (day 3 today!) are positive. I’m getting up and doing it straight away, it only takes ten minutes and it’s weirdly enjoyable (I’m sure this will fade!).

I mean, I do believe in school dinners – and they definitely will go back to them, but I just thought it was nice to switch things up, save a bit of money in the process – and also create some helpful content for my channel. The kids had been asking for weeks if they could have sandwiches. When I explained that they could have packed lunches but it wouldn’t be sandwiches every day, they weren’t keen. They really were not into some of the ideas I suggested. In fact I’d go so far as to say they were appalled! It was funny, really, and blatantly all down to the embarrassment factor of eating weird, healthy food! Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with a sarnie, but I wanted to mix it up so they and I don’t get bored and so that they are still getting good nutrition.

You could argue that school dinners OR packed lunches are healthier I reckon – it all depends what is in them. Whilst school dinners have come a long way and our kids definitely enjoy them, there are days when I’m left wondering if a healthy packup would be more nutritionally beneficial.

Aaannnnyyway. Back to the cake. I wanted to make something homemade for them to take in, as to lessen the stress factor on me, so far I have been packing shop bought treats. By the way to check out when I packed them for this week do watch out for my vlog which I am filming this week and will be uploaded next week! And also check out my Tesco haul and meal plan video which features lots of packed lunch ingredients.

Makes: an 18in cake (serves about 10)

Takes: about an hour

Ingredients:

• 200g of self-raising (or plain flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder)
• 100g butter, cold and cubed
• 80g soft brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 100g carrot, grated
• Juice and zest 1 orange
• Pinch salt

Icing:

• 100g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line (or flour) an 18in cake tin.
2. Rub butter into flour (plus baking powder if using). Add salt and sugar.
3. Beat egg and mix with milk. Tip in with carrot and juice/zest. Mix.
4. Pop into tin and bake for 45 mins.
5. Mix icing sugar and juice and when cool, ice, if you like.