Carrot and Apple Cake Recipe

Ingredients:  Makes one 23 cm/9 in cake

250 g/9 oz/2.25 cups self-raising (self-rising) flour 5 ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon 175 g/6 oz/0.75 cup soft brown sugar Finely grated rind of 1 orange 3 eggs 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup oil 150 g/5 oz eating (dessert) apples, peeled, cored and grated 150 g/5 oz carrots, grated 100 g/4 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped 100 g/4 oz/1 cup pecan nuts or walnuts, chopped

Method: Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, then stir in the sugar and orange rind. Beat the eggs into the oil, then stir in the apple, carrots and two-thirds of the apricots and nuts. Fold in the flour mixture and spoon into a greased and lined 23 cm/9 in cake tin (pan). Sprinkle with the remaining chopped apricots and nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling.