"Batter style" cake recipes

A friend of mine who used to live in the States gave me a wonderful chocolate cake recipe which uses oil instead of margarine or butter. Consequently, the cake comes out beautifully moist, and lasts two weeks (well, ok, not in this house ).

I've tried in vain buy a book with just these types of recipes in.

If you know of any recipes of this kind, I'd love to have them......

I like oil-based cake recipes too - as you say they come out beautifully moist. I have quite a few but this one has been requested by friends so many times that it's already been typed into Word before. It is without doubt the best carrot cake recipe I've tried . I'll have a hunt for some others later.

[From The Food Aid Cookery Book, edited by Delia Smith, BBC publication 1986]
New Zealand Moist Carrot Cake
“In my capacity as a cookery writer I have come across a fair amount of carrot cakes in my time but this one wins the crown – it is simply superlative !”

9oz (250g) wholemeal flour
6oz (175g) raw sugar (muscovado or Barbados)
6oz (175g) soft brown sugar
3 x size 3 (medium) eggs
6 fl.oz (175ml) sunflower oil
2 fl.oz (55ml) soured cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
approx. 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 level teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
11oz (330g) grated carrots
3oz (75g) desiccated coconut

For the topping
4oz (110g) full fat soft cream cheese (eg. Philadelphia) at room temperature
2oz (50g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2oz (50g) sifted icing sugar
Juice of ½ a lemon


Pre-heat oven to gas mark 2, 300F, 150C. You will need one 8” (20cm) round cake tin (lined with greaseproof paper) and two mixing bowls.

In the first mixing bowl you place the eggs, oil, vanilla essence and soured cream, then sieve the sugars (to avoid any lumps) into it as well. Into the other bowl you sift the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, soda and salt.

Now beat the wet ingredients and the sugars together, then fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the carrots and coconut. Mix well to distribute everything evenly, then spoon into the cake tin and bake on the centre shelf for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

When the cake is cool beat the topping ingredients together and spread thickly all over the top.

My notes
1. The same recipe works for an 8”x12” tray-bake tin. Oven at 180C for 50-60 mins.
2. Have never successfully managed to "sieve" the sugars - the lumps don't go through my sieve and I just end up with a sticky sugar mass clogging it up. I'm guessing my sieve is just too fine. So I just mash the lumps out using the back of a spoon against the sides of a bowl.
3. For the topping, beat butter and cheese together first till soft and well blended, then add icing sugar until you get the right consistency. Add lemon juice at the very end – it can curdle otherwise. I actually prefer to use lemon oil to avoid the possibility altogether, about ½ a capful. If doing a tray-bake cake, I use a whole pack of Philly cheese (200g) and about half a pack of butter, half a capful of lemon oil and just add icing sugar till it’s sweet enough.

OK, here's another that's a real favourite whose recipe has also been requested by friends before. You wouldn't know it has courgette in (good guessing game to play though ) and it's a great way to use them up if you grow your own and have the inevitable glut of courgettes !

[From Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Book, BBC Books, published 1994]

Courgette Loaf
Makes 2x2lb (900g) loaves

“Expect this cake to have a sugary top, which is quite normal. This recipe makes two loaves. Freeze one and store the second one in the fridge. Serve sliced and buttered, or spread with low-fat soft cheese.”

3 eggs
9 fl.oz (275ml) sunflower oil
12 oz (350g) caster sugar
12 oz (350g) courgettes (or small marrow), grated
5.5 oz (165g) plain flour
5.5 oz (165g) buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
6 oz (175g) raisins
5 oz (150g) walnuts, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, 350F, gas 4. Grease and line two 2lb (900g) loaf tins with greased greaseproof paper.
Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well to make a thick batter. Pour into the prepared tins.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 1 hour or until the loaves are firm and a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cakes a little before turning out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.

My notes
Never bothered with buckwheat flour, I just use whatever flour I have to hand – more plain or wholemeal if I have it. And yes, it is a tablespoon of cinnamon, that’s not a typo.

3 weeks in the fridge – she’s joking right ?! It might be the case if you’re living on your own and have a small slice every other day. Or maybe my house is populated with gannets

It doesn't need buttering or smoothering with soft cheese - it's definitely a cake, not a bread. But each to their own.

Thanks so much for these Tilly - can't wait to try them