Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze for #SundaySupper

I think October might just be my favourite month of the year. With the leaves truly turning now and a crispness to the air, it is time for the full delights of Autumn cooking to come to fruition.With bold, deep flavours and colours, it is true Harvest Festival time, so this weekend we have an All Things Orange #SundaySupper to celebrate this delicious time of year. Hosted by the wonderful Pam of The Meltaways, we have a full harvest of orange delights, with plenty to share around.

There is one cake which epitomizes Autumn: Carrot Cake. Now, I know it’s tradition to smother carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, but for me, carrot cake is better when the true flavours of the cake are allowed to shine – the carrots themselves add sweetness, contrasted with deep, mellow spices. In short, Carrot Cake should taste of Autumn, and Autumn to me does not taste over-sweet.

So, instead of icing, this Carrot Cake is finished with an orange marmalade glaze and topped with a sprinkling of orange-and-spice-drenched raisins and pine nuts. It is also an almost guilt-free recipe, reasonably low in sugar, and good for those with gluten or dairy intolerances, as it is free from both, but far from being dry and crumbly, it is squidgy deliciousness.

Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

150ml sunflower oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten

100g light muscavado sugar

175g gluten-free self-raising flour blend

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

200g carrots, grated

70g raisins

1 orange – 2 tsps of zest, 2 of juice.

A few pinenuts

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a round springform cake tin.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and sugar until you have a syrupy consistency. Fold in the flour and spices, incorporating plenty of air, then add the carrots, raisins, orange zest and juice. Stir lightly until they are mixed through evenly. The mixture should be fairly runny.

Pour into the cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 mins. The cake should be golden and springy. Check with a skewer: if it comes out clean, it’s done! Be careful not to overbake, you want it to be moist.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Warm some orange marmalade in a pan until just runny, then remove from heat. While the marmalade is warming, mix some more juice from the orange with a little nutmeg in a shallow bowl and soak a couple of handfuls of raisins in the juice.

With a pastry brush, spread the marmalade of the top of the cake and sprinkle on the raisins and pinenuts.

It is wonderful served warm with just a drizzle of fresh cream.

You cannot live on cake alone, but as the #SundaySupper group proves, you can create an entire dinner menu from all things orange! So for more orangey inspiration than you could ever need, look no further.

Sunrise  (Breakfast and Brunch)

Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes is bringing her Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Kris from In The Kitchen with Audrey and Maureen  is making her Sweet Potato Pancakes

Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze

Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs

Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade

Claire from The Realistic Nutritionist is baking up some Spiced Low-Fat Pumpkin Biscuits

Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spice Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal

Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter

Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing

 

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup

Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup

Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Sweet Potato Salad

Megan from I Run For Wine is making Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup With Adult Grilled Cheese

Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad

Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Spiced Sweet Potato Cider Soup

Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup

Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad

 

Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites  is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce

Pam from The Meltaways is making some Spooky Stuffed Peppers

Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey

Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle

Elizabeth from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle is making Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Shallot Butter

Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters

Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew

Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken

Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce

Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar

 

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce

Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles

Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa

Anne from Webicurean  is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread

Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole

Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls

Bree from Bree’s Bites is bringing Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites

Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise

Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze

Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake

Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread Reisipe

Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake

Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Pumpkin Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Laura from Family Spice is making some Gluten Free and Unprocessed Pumpkin Bread

Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies

Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies

Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

Sandra from Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries

 

Remember you can join us on Twitter for a live chat at 7:00pm EST – all you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.