Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake.  I love everything about it, including the idea that I might just be squeezing in one of my elusive five-a-day by eating several slices. It interests me that, in the centuries before sugar was readily available as a sweetener, carrot was one of the ingredients that fulfilled this function.

No major mishaps making this (for a change!) except that I inadvertently used pecans instead of walnuts (which was probably an improvement as far as I'm concerned anyway). It went down really well with my guests, and the topping was lovely.

But . . . this recipe uses oil instead of butter for the fat. I've tried and tried but I just can't get used to it. I'm not sure whether it's the absence of buttery taste, or the presence of oily taste (which I can always, always detect in every oil-based recipe I've ever made) but I just don't like the flavour or the texture of oil-based cakes.

Sorry Mary, but this one wasn't a hit with me. I made another carrot cake a few weeks ago using some recipe I'd found on the internet which was much nicer. But I have learned a good lesson - in future I think I'll always substitute pecans for walnuts!

In the meantime, if anyone has tips for making an oil-based cake that doesn't taste of oil and have an oily texture then I'd love to hear them - please comment!