These carrot cake loaves are moreish and light. This is the sweet treat your family and friends will ask you to make over and over again. 

Mini carrot cake loaves

Makes 12 

Ingredients

For the carrot cake: 

2 cups (300g) flour
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp (5ml) salt
2 tsp (10ml) cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5ml) all spice
½ tsp (2.5ml) ground cardamom
1 cup (250ml) canola oil
1⅓ cups (300g) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
½ cup (120g) sour cream
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract (or paste)
270g carrots, peeled and roughly grated
⅓ cup (80g) pecan nuts, toasted and chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced 

For the cream cheese icing: 

⅔ cup (160g) butter, at room temperature
1 tub (200g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla paste
Pinch salt
3⅓ cup (430g) icing sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zested 

Edible flowers, to garnish
Dried carrot (See cook’s tip) 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Spray 2 x 6-hole mini loaf tin or 30x22cm sheet pan with non-stick spray.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Add spices and mix though.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk oil and sugar until creamy.
5. Add eggs one by one, mixing well after every addition.
6. Add sour cream, vanilla, carrots, nuts, lemon zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. 
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold through until just combined into a batter. 
8. Transfer to the prepared tin.
9. Bake 15-20 minutes for the mini loaves (or 45 minutes for a sheet cake) or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
10. For the cream cheese icing, whisk all ingredients for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
11. If the cake was baked as a sheet, cut into portions. Ice cake loaves or squares to your liking. Decorate with edible flowers and dried carrot crisps just before serving. 

Cook’s tip 

To make the dried carrot crisps, preheat oven to 100°C. Use a vegetable peeler to make some thin carrot peels. Place the peels on an oven tray, making sure they do not lie on top of each other or are clumped up. Place in the oven to dry out for about 1 hour. While drying out, gently move the peels around on the tray every 20 minutes for even drying. Cool and store in an airtight jar. 

Recipes & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Pickled fish toast

The post Mini carrot cake loaves appeared first on MyKitchen.

We’re borrowing Sarah Kieffer’s perfect CCC dough recipe, now with an added melty centre.

Choc chip cookies with ganache centre

Makes 12  

Ingredients

⅖ cup (100ml) cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups (300g) cake flour
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp (2.5ml) fine salt
½ cup (125g) salted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150g) white granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla essence
150g dark chocolate chips
Salt flakes, for sprinkling 

Method

1. Heat cream until scalding hot. Pour over chopped chocolate and stir to melt into a smooth ganache.
2. Refrigerate ganache for 30 minutes, or until firm.
3. Shape 12 spoonfuls into balls. Freeze in a single layer for 2 hours or until rock hard.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and bicarb. Add salt and set aside
6. Whisk butter and sugars for 5 minutes, scraping sides, until sugar is almost melted.
7. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
8. Add in sifted ingredients and chocolate chips and whisk to form a dough.
9. Portion dough into 12 x 70g pieces and flatten into a disc. Place frozen ganache balls in the centre of each, then enclose ball with dough. Chill for 10 minutes.
10. Place 3-4 balls on a lined baking tray. (Leave room between balls to spread to 10cm wide.) Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 10-11 minutes or until golden.
11. Cool on the tray until firm. Repeat with remaining dough.
12. Serve immediately for best result, or store in an airtight container for a week.

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: The MK team’s holiday cookie jar: Favourite cookies with a nostalgic twist 

The post Choc chip cookies with ganache centre appeared first on MyKitchen.

Salads are simply throwing together your favourite mix of healthy ingredients, and that’s how to enjoy this pickled fish salad!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
500 g pickled fish, pickling liquid drained
4 handfuls mixed Asian greens
5 rainbow carrots, ribboned
½ cucumber, sliced
2 tbsp pickling liquid
1 tbsp olive oil

METHOD
1. Tear the pickled fish into large chunks.
2. Arrange the Asian greens, carrots and cucumber on a serving platter. Top with the pickled fish.
3. Whisk together the pickling liquid and the olive oil and drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately.

Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Peet Mocke // HMimages.co.za

Once you’ve had your salad, you can enjoy something sweet, like these quick and easy chocolate egg truffles!

The post Our pickled fish salad is here right in time for summer appeared first on MyKitchen.

Traditional pickled fish is a favourite here in SA, so why not enjoy it any time of year? Make this option and serve it with a government loaf for a budget-friendly treat!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
2 baby onions, skin removed and halved
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp white and black mustard seeds
4 hake fillets
¼ cup vegetable oil
Government loaf, to serve

METHOD
1. Preheat a pan, drizzle 1 tbsp oil, then grill the onions on each side for 2–3 minutes on low heat.
2. Heat the vinegar with the turmeric, garlic, mustard seeds and onions until it comes to a simmer. Place in a dish for fillets to lie in.
3. Grill the fish fillets in 3 tbsp of oil, on one side for 3–4 minutes. Then place in the pickling liquid for at least 30 minutes.
4. Place a fish fillet on each plate. Tear pieces of the bread off and place alongside the fish. Spoon the onion halves with the pickling liquid over the fish. Serve immediately.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post Traditional pickled fish with government loaf appeared first on MyKitchen.

Here are our picks of winter kitchen essentials, perfect for whipping up all the comfort foods you know and love. Find these (and more!) in the MyKitchen magazine shop at home.co.za. Readers get an exclusive discount when buying online – use the voucher code mykitchen at checkout. 

LATTE MUG

24-CM QUICHE PAN

LOAF PAN

GIANT MUFFIN PAN

BAMBOO ROLLING PIN

LARGE DUCK EGG CASSEROLE 

The post Get 10% off when shopping our July favourites appeared first on MyKitchen.