Ingredients:


1 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp grated nutmeg

2/3 cup brown sugar (I used demerara)

2 loosely packed grated carrots

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup oil

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 tbsp flax seed powder + 4 tbsp warm water

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup orange juice


For the chocolate ganache:

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 cup milk chocolate

100ml cream (25% fat)

1 tbsp butter



Method:


Mix the flax seed powder and the warm water and whisk well for about half a minute. Keep aside. After about 10 minutes, the flax seed mixture will become thick and viscous.

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together into a bowl. Add the sugar, grated carrots, raisins and walnuts and mix everything so that the carrot, walnuts and raisins are well coated with flour.

In another bowl, lightly whisk together the oil, flax seed mixture, vanilla extract, yogurt and orange juice. Make a well in middle of the dry ingredients and pour the whisked liquid ingredients into this. Gently stir till combined. Do not over-mix.

Scrape the cake batter into a lined and well-greased 8" cake tin and bake at 190C for between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. If the top of the cake is browning too much, cover the cake with aluminium foil half way through the baking.

Once the cake is done (an inserted skewer/ knife should come out clean), take it out and leave it in the tin for about 20 minutes. Then remove and let it cool on a rack.
Once the cake has completely cooled, prepare the ganache.

Chop the chocolate and put into a bowl. Add the butter to it. Heat the cream, stirring constantly, over medium heat until you can see the steam rising from the cream. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Keep stirring the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate dissolves completely and ganache is smooth. If you feel the ganache is becoming thick, just place the bowl over simmering water and stir it. The ganache will thin, but be careful not to get any moisture into it.
Now pour the ganache over the cake and decorate as you wish. I used candied chocolate covered cashewnuts and candied carrot curls.
This recipe makes one 8" cake.