If you are up for the challenge of getting real busy in the kitchen before your wedding day, why not prepare mini favor cakes? It lends a very personal touch top such a wonderful day and can be prepared in advance depending on the type of cake you choose.

I have chosen a mini carrot cake. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, if kept cool until the day of the event. The frosting can be added a day in advance if you prefer a sweet, stiff frosting. Caution should be taken as it cannot be placed back in the fridge after the frosting is added. You’ll have to decide on the season before you choose your cake!

Collect empty condensed milk tins, as it is a nice portion size. The baking time will vary and depends on the type of cake,  how many mini cakes will be back at once and on the type of oven, eg convection/fan. So, it is best not to give this a go a day before your wedding – try and test first.

I received this recipe from my husbands’ gran after she passed away – it was a top secret which I will now share with you! The ingredients as below is for a bundt cake.

Ingredients

Cake

4 eggs

500ml sugar

375ml sunflower oil

10ml bicarbonate of soda

15ml milk

500ml self raising flour

200ml pecan or walnuts, broken into smaller pieces

200ml coconut

10ml cinnamon

5ml mixed spice

5ml salt

750ml finely grated carrots

Icing

250ml low fat cottage cheese or cream cheese

60g margarine

375ml icing sugar (more can be added for a sweeter and stiff icing)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Beat eggs and sugar until a creamy consistency.
3. Add oil to the mix and then the bicarbonate of soda that has been dissolved in 15ml of milk.
4. Add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Lastly, add the carrots.
5. Pour into a well greased bundt pan.
6. Bake for 1hr 10 min or when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

After the cake has cooled down and placed onto a serving plate, the icing can be prepared by mixing the ingredients well. Pour over the cake and decorate with glazed fruit, cranberries or pistachio nuts and lemon rind.

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about the author

If it is different, made with love and contains Italian parsley or rosemary, I love it! I'm inspired by my daughter, born Sept 2010, a good latte served with a pretty piece of cake or even better: a carrot and cream cheese-centered muffin. I live by the motto "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day". May you be inspired to live a lovilee life! - ElmaRi