Carrot, banana, oat and bran cake

A semi-healthy muffin or cake that doesn't need any icing!

125g butter, softened

100g sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and mixed spice

½ teaspoon each of nutmeg and cardamom

1 cup milk

¼ cup low-fat natural yogurt

2 carrots, grated

2 bananas, mashed

½ cup oats

½ cup bran

About ¼ cup oats extra, for decoration

Can also add in any seeds like chia, pepitas etc, nuts such as walnuts or LSA. This could be in addition to the bran or oats, or to replace them

This makes one big cake or about 24 muffins.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a cake tin with baking paper, or grease muffin tins.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the eggs one at a time until well combined, then add in the vanilla.

Put the spices in the flour, and then add this in intervals with milk and yoghurt, in about three sets. Continue to combine well with the beater.

Using a wooden spoon, gently mix through the carrot and banana and then the oats and bran.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and sprinkle the extra oats on the top.

Muffins will take about 20 minutes, and the cake will take about 45-50 minutes. Test the cake with a skewer to see that it is cooked all the way through before removing from the oven.