A few months ago, gripped by baking fever, I purchased Mary Berry's Baking Bible. I quickly decided to embark upon a mission to bake everything in the book, and turn myself from an occasional baker into a bit of an expert. My Grandad Ern was a Master Baker by trade; the man responsible for introducing Danish Pastries to England in fact, and I wish it had occurred to me to spend more time learning from him, rather than simply enjoying the fruits of his effortless labours. This project is almost a way of making amends for that; I'd like to follow in his footsteps (if not in my career, at least as a hobby) and continue the proud heritage of baking in my family.
I credit my friend Rachel with the idea to write a blog about my baking exploits, hoping that there will be more successes than failures as I attempt all 213 of the Queen of Baking's recipes.
So as not to bore the husband with a monotonous diet of sponges, followed by weeks of biscuits, I've decided to tackle the recipes by selecting the first bake from each chapter, followed by the second recipe and so on. I'm not going to pick and choose; I'm determined to face my baking demons and learn how to do everything baking-related, even if the consequences are disastrous!
Everything will be photographed, with comment about how I found baking it, and a husband rating (to be taken with a pinch of salt as he has a very selective cake-tooth).


Sunday, 14 May 2017

95. Carrot and Orange Loaf

This week's bake followed the fruit/veg theme and is the first carrot cake I've made to one of Mary's recipes, although I've made loads before. I can clearly remember baking a carrot cake at school - I must've been in Y9 - and it turning out really well; since then I've always been a fan. I actually prefer them without the cream cheese frosting which seems always to accompany them, so this recipe appealed to me, and I was intrigued by the inclusion of the orange.
It wasn't a great bake for Elizabeth to get involved with: grating carrots is tedious and a bit too challenging for a little one, as was the grating of the orange and the removing of the pith/slicing. But she got involved in the cake side of things, and thoroughly enjoys using the electric hand whisk to mix everything together. It was another all-in-one cake, so very easy to make; the orange slices were placed on the top with some runny honey spread over for the last 15 minutes of baking. I expected the orange to do something, but it remained pretty 'raw', rather than caramelised, and I'm not really sure what it's meant to be like. It looked pretty at least, and I've actually enjoyed the taste of it.
I tested the cake with a skewer, but when I cut the first slice, it seemed quite wet in the middle. I put that down to moisture from the carrots - it certainly didn't seem raw as such. As the days have passed, the top has become quite wet from the oranges too; it's probably best polished off within a day or two. That said, it's kept very well, without needing to be stored in the fridge as Mary suggests.
Baker's verdict: easy and tasty - a good carrot cake. The orange flavour is a nice touch.
Husband rating: 8.5/10 - lovely flavour. Best on the first day, with a nice crispy outside.
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