Before i tell you more about this delicious Carrot Cake, i first need to tell you a little bit more about THE PLACE, no better setting to showcase this Carrot Cake than Lands End, Victoria Bay….

A perfect setting for a long weekend or beach holiday.

Lands End, situated in the seaside hamlet of Victoria Bay. The last house of about 12, tugged into the bay, on the Garden Route coastline. Lands End, a mere 10 minutes drive to the closest shops, but it is so secluded that it feels like a little piece of paradise with the ocean a mere 3 meteres away from your front stoep.

Memories….

We booked the two bottom units of the house, Point View and Bay view, Point View with two bedrooms sleeps four and Bay View with only one bedroom with a pull out couch for small children. Both units with their own kitchen but if you book them together it forms a lovely single unit with a large front stoep, and this is where you will spend your days, on the stoep. The front stoep is very well protected and even if it’s raining you can still sit there and just breathe in the view and amasing scenery.

The two main bedrooms are so close to the water, literally 3 meters. It is the last house, so it’s situated right on the point of the bay, in the morning the voices of the surfers, sitting on their boards, waiting to catch a wave wakes you up, this is really a gem of a weekend getaway spot.

There is a small swimming beach, which is about 2 minutes walk back towards the entrance of the bay, and a lovely tidal pool for the smaller children.

I’ve decided to bake Belinda’s Carrot Cake for our Lands End weekend, as you can make it up to two days in advance, keep it in a airtight container till needed and ice at your destination.

Make the Carrot Cake as follows:

1: Mix together : 2 cups of sugar , 4 eggs and 1 and a half cup of canola oil.

2: Sift together and mix with sugar mixture: 2 cups flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp bicarb of soda,
1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt.

3: Mix together and add to the above: 3 cups grated carrots, 3/4 cup grated coconut, 1 cup chopped pecan or wallnuts, 1 cup crained crushed pineapple (don’t drain too much).

Bake in a 30cm springform pan at 180 degrees for 45 – 55 minutes or untill a skewer comes out clean.

I’ve used a large ringpan. Make sure you butter the pan very well, and let the cake stand for at least 15 minutes after baking before you turn it out.

For the Cream cheese icing you will need:

125 ml butter
500 g sifted icing sugar
250 g cream cheese

Cream the butter and gradually add the icing sugar. Add vanilla, followed by the cream cheese. Don’t beat too much as the cream cheese will become watery.

I always have a little bit of extra icing sugar on hand, add if the cream cheese icing is a bit soft….

Serve thick slices of Carrot Cake with copious amounts of warm tea……

And tomorrow, if more friends come to visit, they will tuck in as well…

Lands End, a great place to visit, take some friends with and spend your days on the stoep having Carrot Cake and warm tea….

WE WILL GO BACK TO LANDS END….