Carrot and Orange Cake Recipe

Thank you for all the nice things you said about the cake - here is the recipe for all those who asked for it!

Carrot and Orange Squares

Cake
225ml/ 8 fl oz sunflower oil
225g /8 oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
250g /9 oz carrots - grated
225g / 8 oz self-raising flour
1 tsp orange flower water (or orange juice)

Icing
50g /2oz butter
200g Philadelphia Cream Cheese ('Light', if you are feeling virtuous)
40g/ 1 1/2 oz icing sugar
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange

Method

Heat oven to 180C
Grease and line a 7x11x1 inch tin (approximately 18mm x28mm x3mm tin)

Cake
Whisk oil and sugar together, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the carrots, the self-raising flour and the orange flower water. Pour into the tin and bake for about 40 minutes. Leave in the tin for about 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Icing. Beat the butter and Philadelphia till fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar, orange zest and juice. Spread ¼" deep over the cold cake. Decorate with more orange zest. Cut into squares.

NB. Belgian Equivalents:
Self-Raising Flour - Farine Fermentante/ Zelfrijzend bakmeel. I usually add a pinch of baking powder too,S-R Flour in the UK seems to have slightly more raising agent than it does here.

Icing Sugar - Sucre Impalpable/ Bloem Suiker

Note: For the Scones recipes look at the posting for 10/30/2007!

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

Off we went down Jennifer's street at the start of our walk today. With 19 of us ... it was quite a group and she had several cancellations also! Jennifer (2nd left) did a splendid walk for us with lots of variations plus providing refreshments afterwards! What a great afternoon.

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

The group paused before the Chateau for this photo! Who would have believed we would have such a turn out in January???

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

It was a great walk with a nice variety of contrasting scenes that we all enjoyed. It was overcast but we had no wind or rain and at 8C it was quite comfortable for a January outing!

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

Our "thanks" to our hostess, Jennifer, (middle) who was so generous with her time and hospitality.

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

We gathered around the table to help ourselves to the hot tea and coffee as well at the other "goodies" that were offered.

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

Yum! We had such delicious offerings from Jennifer ... her wonderful scones ... some with raisins and those with cheese as well as the carrot and orange cake. What to choose? What to choose? Oh, and then there was that Marmite again!!! Humm..

Mon., Jan. 28th - Jennifer's Everberg Walk

Then again ... some of us just enjoyed relaxing in the living room after such nice refreshments!

Fri., Jan. 25th - Sandy's Woluwe Walk

It was nice to see the sunshine once again this afternoon as we followed the former railroad line to Stockel and back.

Fri., Jan. 25th - Sandy's Woluwe Walk

There were a lucky 13 of us to enjoy the outing this afternoon. For January the weather was pretty great, sunny, clear, and about 6C. The doggies enjoyed it too. It was nice to have Yuko join us again as well as a new walker, Charlotte (4th in back row).

Fri., Jan. 25th - Sandy's Woluwe Walk

Those of us who could take the time found a small cafe, the Avenue, where we took our refreshments this afternoon. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and though it was not fancy, the prices were right and no cigarette smoke! Then it was back to the cars.

Mon., Jan. 21st - Margosha's Meise Walk

Jennifer supplied this Google overview of the walk this afternoon ... starting from the top! The statistics were: 8.84 km, 1 hr. 58 min's and we expended 476 calories!!!

Mon., Jan. 21st - Margosha's Meise Walk

Off the walkers went through country lanes and city streets in and around Meise ... Our first venture there!

Mon., Jan. 21st - Margosha's Meise Walk

It looks like a good pace was set here! "Thanks" to Margosha (right) who planned and led the walk and to Jennifer who furnished today's photos. It was overcast but no rain and at 11C we couldn't complain.

Jan. 21st - Margosha's Walk in Meise

Snow Drops in January??? Can spring be far behind ...

Mon., Jan. 21st - Margosha's Walk in Meise

Our many "thanks" to Margosha (center) who also hosted us so nicely at her home after the walk. She presented two really delicious dessert choices .... tiramisu as well as apple crumble. I'm sure we all walked enough to have a portion of each. Don't you agree???

Fri., Jan. 15th - Sandy's Bois de la Cambre Walk

Only five of us made it for the very wet, rainy and windy walk this afternoon around the lakes in the Bois de la Cambre. In honor of the weather we did not do our full 2 hours but adjourned to the warmth of the cafe nearby. Kudos to those who braved the weather!

Fri., Jan. 19th - Sandy's Bois de la Cambre Walk

Looking and feeling somewhat like drowned rats ... 4 of us took our refreshments this afternoon at Les Filles de Papa on Rue Vanderkinder in Uccle. We welcomed a new walker, Edith, (2nd left) who joined us on a less than ideal walking day. She's a real trooper!

Mon., Jan. 14th - Sheila's La Hulpe Station Walk

Well, ... here it is "thanks to Jennifer and Cliff" ... our walk from La Hulpe Station today under the guidance of Sheila ... Now, where did we start???

Mon., Jan. 14th - Sheila's La Hulpe Walk

Our "thanks" to Sheila (middle front) for leading us today ... it was a nice outing and Jennifer had her gps on her wrist to record our route. The statistics follow ...

Mon., Jan. 14th - Sheila's La Hulpe Station Walk

We had a variety of venues on the walk today. Here is just one of them that we enjoyed ...

Mon., Jan. 14 - Sheila's La Hulpe Station Walk

Here is our group photo as we stopped to catch the sunshine mid walk. It was good weather for a change ... at about 9C and a bit of a breeze.

Mon., Jan. 14th - Sheila's La Hulpe Station Walk

During our stop after our walk today we had to get used to a smoke filled cafe again after so many months of pure, clean air! There was not a great choice in places to stop. We had a fine time though and enjoyed our time together as we caught up and shared our drinks.

Mon., Jan. 14th - Sheila's La Hulpe Station Walk

Our "thanks" to Jennifer for this one which she took from the other end of the table. She also provided the following statistics: We walked 6.58 kilometers in 1 hour 45 minutes at an average speed of 4 kph and expended 366 calories ... that amounts to about one of the chocolate candies that our waiter presented to us each! Go for it girls ... were in the land of chocolates!

Fri., Jan. 11th - Joan's La Hulpe Walk

At 10C it was fine for our outing around the grounds of the Chateau de la Hulpe ... starting from the back at the newly laid cobbled parking lot. Sandy asked who would like to lead today's walk from the map provided and was delighted to hand it over to Joan and a few others to continue the route! Thanks ladies ...

Fri., Jan. 11th - Joan's La Hulpe Walk

You can see Joan (2nd right) with the paperwork today to lead the eleven of us around the route! She had help from some of the others including Anne, Sarah, Ghislaine and Marie Jo, too. It was fine for our walk ... though overcast and with a bit of occasional drizzle along the way.