This is the second in my little ‘baby’s first cake’ series. First up was chocolate cake and now we have carrot cake. This cake is super…well…moist. I know, its the worst word but there really is no suitable substitute. It is a really lovely, easy to bake cake and this week I have been letting the mini foodie have a slice as an afternoon snack. You could ice the sides, sprinkle with edible glitter and top with sparklers ready for a first birthday, or simply ice the top and decorate with edible flowers for a really pretty party look.

The cake is packed with stewed apple (you could use up any cubes languishing in the freezer if you have moved on from the puree stage) and sweetened with carrots and dates. The icing is simply cream cheese, zest of a lemon, a splash of maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon. So simple but lick the bowl clean delicious.

If you’re little ones are ok with nuts then you could easily add in some walnut pieces or top with flaked almonds.

Ingredients

2 carrots

1.5 cups flour (wheat or spelt)

1 egg

4 dates

100ml boiling water

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp stewed apple

0.5cup rapeseed/coconut oil

1tsp baking powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C

Place the dates into a bowl and cover with boiling water

Grate the carrots with the fine side of the grater

Add in the egg, stewed apple, oil and stir well

Blend the dates in the water and add the date mix to the wet ingredients

Add in the dry ingredients and stir well

Place into a greased cake form

Bake at 180C for approx 35-45 mins

To make the icing, whisk 1 packet of cream cheese with the zest of a lemon, 1 tsp of cinnamon and 3tbsp maple syrup