Carrot and Mandarin Orange Cake
Total Time: 2 Hours
35 Minutes
Servings: 12
Juicy chunks of mandarin orange give this classic carrot cake an extra fruity twist.
All You Need Is ...
Cake
- 100 g desiccated coconut
- 225 g carrots grated (2 medium)
- 1 box (425g) Betty Crocker™ Velvety Vanilla Cake Mix
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 90 ml vegetable oil
- 180 ml water
- 3 medium free range eggs
- 1 can (298g) mandarin segments in fruit juice drained and chopped
Topping
- 1 tub Betty Crocker™ Rich Cream Cheese Style Icing or Vanilla Buttercream Style Icing
- 20 g chopped pecans
Betty's Easy Steps
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens), Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease 2 x 20cm (8-inch) round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
- In a medium bowl, mix the coconut and carrots with 3 tablespoons of the dry cake mixture. Set aside.
- Tip the remaining cake mix into a large mixing bowl and stir in the spices. Add the oil, water and eggs and beat with an electric mixer on a low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Using a metal spoon, fold in the coconut and carrot mixture followed by the mandarin segments. Divide between the prepared tins and gently level the surface.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Spread half the cream cheese icing over the top of one cold cake. Place the second cake on top and spread over the rest of the icing, swirling it with a small palette knife. Scatter over the chopped pecans. Slice into 12 to serve.
Betty's Tips
- For a fruity topping buy an extra can of mandarin segments and use them to decorate the cake instead of the pecans.
- For a spicy frosting, beat 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon into the cream cheese icing before spreading on top of the cake.
