• The secret to this carrot, walnut and olive oil cake with white chocolate glaze is all in the olive oil, which creates a delicious moistness. This cake is the perfect combination, thanks to sweet carrots, earthy walnuts, and creamy glaze. 

    Carrot, walnut and olive oil cake with white chocolate glaze

    Serves: 5 x 10cm ring cakes
    Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins

    Ingredients

    • Cake

    • 250ml (1 cup) olive oil
    • 470g castor sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 210g cake flour
    • 10ml (2 tsp) baking powder
    • 10ml (2 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
    • 5ml (1 tsp) ground cardamom
    • 5ml (1 tsp) ground cloves
    • 5ml (1 tsp) salt
    • 125g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
    • 500g carrots, peeled and grated
    • zest of 1 orange
    • Chocolate glaze

    • 250g white chocolate, chopped
    • 60ml (¼ cup) fresh cream
    • Carrot crisps

    • vegetable oil, for frying
    • 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Gently grease 5 small ring pans.

    2

    For the cake, whisk the oil, sugar and eggs together. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and salt together and combine with the oil mixture. Mix in the nuts, carrots and zest.

    3

    Divide the batter between the ring pans and bake for about 20 – 30 minutes. The cakes should still be fairly moist. Turn out and allow to cool completely.

    4

    For the glaze, gently heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan until smooth. Pour the glaze over the carrot cakes.

    5

    For the crisps, heat the oil and fry the carrots over high heat until golden and crunchy. Drain the crisps well and scatter them over the cakes. Serve immediately to ensure that the carrots remain nice and crisp.