The Wifelette...Bakes!

Of late, my new vocation in life has not been law, but baking. And as such, I thought it about time to share my very favourite carrot cake recipe by Nigel Slater. It is genius and works every time. But before I introduce it, here are a few gratuitous shots of my cake baking success to date!

Recipe for carrot cake heaven as follows...

Ingredients...

Eggs - 3
Self-raising flour - 250g
Bicarbonate of soda - half a teaspoon
Baking Powder - a teaspoon
Ground cinnamon - a teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Sunflower Oil - 200ml
Light muscovado sugar - 250g
Carrots - 150g
Juice of half a lemon
Walnuts - 150g

For the Frosting...
Mascarpone Cheese - 250g
Philadelphia cream cheese - 200g
Unrefined icing sugar - 150g
The grated zest of a medium orange
Walnut halves - a handful

Set the oven at 180 degrees. Lightly butter a cake tin and line with a disc of baking parchment.

Separate the eggs. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat the oil and sugar with an electric mixer until creamed, then introduce the egg yolks one by one. Grate the carrots into the mixture, then add lemon juice. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them too.

Fold the flour into the mixture using the electric whisk on slow. Beat the egg white separately until light and stiff, then fold into the mixture using a large metal spoon (a wooden one will knock the air out).

Scoop the mixture into the tin, smooth the top gently and bake for forty to forty-five minutes. Test with a skewer. The cake should be moist but not sticky. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for a good ten minutes before removing the cake from the tin.

To make the frosting, mix the mascarpone, Philadelphia cheese and icing sugar with an electric mixer. Beat till smooth and creamy (there should be no lumps). Mix in the orange zest.
When the cake is cool, cut the cake in half and smooth approximately 1/3 of the frosting. Then sandwich the halves together. Use the rest to cover the top of the cake. Finish with walnut halves. And ta-daa!

1707

Yesterday, my other half and I stumbled upon what has to be one of the very best bars in London. 1707 is nestled in the basement of Fortnum & Mason and is an absolute treat.

After a busy day's shopping we propped ourselves up at the bar with a stunning glass of vino and a scrumptious cheese board, all accompanied by the sounds of an accoustic guitar. There is something very special about being in Fortnum & Masons after hours, so we will definitely be returning, particularly seeing as we escaped without sampling their amazing wine flights...yum!

The Providores

Second only to afternoon tea, brunch is my favourite meal. Being able to eat soft, runny eggs in the afternoon, accompanied by a glass of fizz....yummmmm! My friends have been gushing about brunch at The Providores in Marylebone for a while now, and having looked at their website, I can see why. Boasting amazing reviews, I think this is one to add to the date list  for h2b and I!

Committing to a Sandwich...

Sounds ridiculous, yes I know. But since I've been at law school, something funny has happened to my appetite and for some reason I just never seem to fancy lunch. What I DO fancy however, is coffee, lots of coffee, accompanied by cake. And I'm in the right place. My college is virtually held hostage to gorgeous boutique bakery, Konditor & Cook. I'm surrounded by two branches (ok, so not quite surrounded) and daily spend what little money I have on their coffee and cake. Their brownies are spectacular....and their muffins....mmmmmmm, their muffins. Such a cool, yummy bakery. And a great alternative to a sensible lunch!