Homemade Recipes

200g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

140g sultanas or raisins

zest and juice 2 oranges, or 4 clementines

300g self-raising flour

300g light soft brown sugar

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 large eggs, beaten with a fork

300g carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, butternut squash or swede, or a mixture, grated

200g icing sugar or fondant icing sugar

few crushed white sugar cubes

Directions:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking or roasting tin with baking parchment. Mix the sultanas and zest and juice from 1 orange (or 2 clementines), and microwave on High for 2 mins.

Mix the flour, caster sugar, spices, bicarb and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix the eggs with the melted butter and sultana mixture, then tip into the dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated veg, and scrape into the tin. Bake for 35 - 40 mins, or until a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin.

Once cool sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in remaining orange zest plus enough juice to make a runny icing. Drizzle all over the cake and scatter with the crushed sugar cubes. Leave to set, then slice into 15 squares to serve.