Bake of the Week: How to make this delicious Teff carrot cake (serves 8 -10)

From Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt, Chronicle Books, £29.

You’ll need

• 250g raisins
• 22g sugar
• 180g coconut or brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 450g carrots
• 240ml milk
• 180ml olive oil
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 150g teff flour
• 70g rice flour
• 70g potato starch
• 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cloves
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 200g toasted walnuts
• 40g shredded coconut
• 225g cream cheese
• 85g butter
• 375g confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350F, 180C). Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-in cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.

In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water for 10 mins, drain and set aside.

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, whip the granulated sugar, coconut sugar, and eggs until thick and light in colour, around 4 mins. When you lift the whisk, the mixture should fall back in ribbons. Add carrots, milk, olive oil, zest. Combine.

In a separate bowl, stir together the teff flour, rice flour, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the egg mixture and fold just until combined. Fold in the raisins, walnuts, and coconut.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 35-40 mins, then let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 10 mins. Unmold, let cool completely, then transfer to the fridge for at least 30 mins before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and salt and mix until smooth. Spread half of the icing on top of one of the cake layers, cover with the second layer, and smooth the remainder of the icing over the top.