CARROT CAKE
‘This really is a good recipe,’ Mary says of the original formula in her Ultimate Cake Book. ‘i’m afraid, though, that it sounds rather more healthy than it is!’
With two bananas, 100g grated carrot and a decent helping of walnuts, i wouldn’t say it was too bad, and it looks great, though i’m not keen on margarine in the icing. Butter always tastes better.
The shop-bought version is probably healthier purely as it’s about half the size, but i’m pleased to see that, otherwise, they look similar, though my icing is a more natural-looking cream, thanks to the vanilla essence in Mary’s recipe.
JULIET’S VERDICT: The texture of the shop version is a little dry and the frosting a bit sweet for a carrot cake. But the homemade cake isn’t too sweet, which i like, and it’s more moist. There are walnuts in the sponge instead of just the topping, so the texture’s interesting.
WINNER: homemade, by a (slightly bland) whisker.