Carrot-Walnut Cake

INGREDIENTS:

All purpose flour (maida) - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Curd - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup, grated
Jaggery - 1/2 cup, powdered or grated
Oil - 3 tbsp
Pinch of salt

Dry fruits of your choice:
Almonds - 6, chopped
Walnuts - 8, chopped
Raisins - 1 tbsp


Preheat the oven to 180 C. Dust the cake pan with some plain flour.

Combine together maida, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Sieve all together making sure there are no lumps.

In a large bowl, combine curd, jaggery and oil. Whisk until jaggery melts.

Add in carrot and dry fruits.

Now, add in the flour mixture (all dry ingredients) and mix well. 

You can add in the milk at this stage as required. The mixture should have a pouring consistency.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake at 180 C (or 350 F) for 35 mins.

Use a skewer to check if its done. (It should come out clean)

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

You can decorate the cake using whipped cream and garnish with some colorful sprinkles.

Tips:

I used a hand blender with whisk attachment to mix the batter. 

Melt the jaggery on a stovetop or in a microwave for a minute. Allow it to cool. This step is optional if the jaggery is finely powdered or you are using jaggery sugar.

Using one tsp of vinegar (white) or lemon juice will help in better chemical reaction with the baking powder and baking soda making the cake more soft.