Carrot and orange cake

Two Weight Watchers points per serving
25 minutes to prepare + cooling
40 minutes to cook
Makes 10 slices

• Low fat cooking spray
• 125g (4 1/2oz) stoned dried dates
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
• 100g (3 1/2oz) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
• 250g (9oz) self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g (3 1/2oz) carrots, coarsely grated
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 25g (1oz) icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180°C / fan oven 160°C. Spray a 
20cm (8in) square cake tin with low fat spray and line the bottom
 and sides with baking parchment. Set aside.

2. Put the dates and spices in a small pan with 200ml (7fl oz) water 
and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Continue to simmer for 
5 minutes until the dates are soft, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile,
 blitz the pineapple chunks briefly with a hand-held blender until 
roughly pureed. Set aside. Puree the cooled dates until smooth.


3. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Stir in the pineapple, pureed dates, carrots, orange zest, juice of 1/2 the orange and the eggs. Beat until combined then pour into the
 cake tin. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until firm and springy to the
 touch. Allow to cool in the tin.

4. Remove the cake from the tin and take off the paper. Add enough of the remaining orange juice to the icing sugar to make smooth 
icing. Drizzle over the cake and leave to set. Slice into 10 pieces and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.