Carrot and apple loaf

Tam West

A very moist loaf, similar to a carrot cake in flavour and texture. This loaf has a dark outer crust and will rise well.

Ingredients

70 g	New Zealand walnuts
3 small	Carrots (Main)
1	Cooking apple, I used granny smith (Main)
225 g	Caster sugar
¾ cup	Sunflower oil
2	Eggs
115 g	Plain flour
1 tsp	Ground cinnamon
1 tsp	Ground mixed spice
1 tsp	Bicarbonate soda
75 g	Wholemeal flour

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 21cm x 10cm x 6-7cm-deep loaf tin.
2. Place the walnuts in a shallow baking tray and place in the oven to toast for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye out so they don't burn. Leave to cool a little, then roughly chop.
3. Peel the carrots and grate. Grate the unpeeled apple. (If the apple skin is on the tough side you may need to peel it before grating.)
4. Place the sugar and oil in a bowl and beat together. Beat in the eggs one at a time and continue beating until creamy. (I used a wooden spoon, kept for sweet dishes only, to beat the mixture.)
5. Fold in the grated carrot, apple and chopped walnuts. Sift together the plain flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda and fold into the egg mixture along with the wholemeal flour.
6. Pour into the prepared tin and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour until springy to the touch or insert a fine skewer into the centre of the loaf — it should come out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once completely cold, store in an airtight container.

More of Kathy's loaves

• Savoury cheese and bacon mini loaves
• Gingerbread loaves