We love this carrot cake with a twist of banana and dates. The classic carrot cake came around over 100 years ago and continues to be a delicious treat for many. It became popular as it was considered being healthy! Our recipe may seem otherwise, but we still think it is a very yummy cake to enjoy. It combines all the traditional qualities of a carrot cake – gently spiced with cinnamon and a cream cheese frosting – with a delicate hint of banana and rich dates.

Ready in: 75 minutes

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

200g wholemeal flour
1.5 tsp cinnamon
2.5 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
75g walnuts, finely chopped
50g dates, seeded and finely chopped
115g unsalted butter
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 medium carrots, grated
140g plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs, whisked
For the icing
170g cream cheese
3 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C, then grease and line a 20cm tin.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gently stir in the walnuts and set to one side. Melt the butter over medium heat and then stir in the dates.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas and carrots. Then stir in the butter-date mixtures, breaking up any clumps of dates that may form along the way. Once combined, whisk the eggs and yogurt into this bowl.

Add the bowl of dry ingredients into this mixture and stir until it all comes together to form a batter. Spoon this into the prepared tin and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

For the icing, simply whisk the cream cheese and maple syrup together. If you’d prefer a sweeter topping, add more maple syrup to taste.

Wait until the cake has completely cooled before adding the icing. Any leftover walnuts can be chopped and sprinkled on top of the cake for an extra tasty treat.

Why not grab a takeaway coffee to enjoy with your carrot cake at home? You can find our coffee shop opening hours here.