How to turn fruit and veg scraps into a delicious cake – recipe | Food

To have fun 10 years of writing for the Guardian and 7 years of this column, I assumed it will be becoming to bake a cake impressed by the place Waste Not started: my meals compost bin. I appeared via the fridge and uncooked compost bin, and located some squash, carrots, apples, cucumber ends, a knob of ginger and a woody stick of lemongrass; I even thought-about a pink cabbage leaf, however determined that brassicas are finest saved out of the baking tin. The compost bin is greater than a spot for leftovers, it’s a supply of inspiration, in addition to a technique to mirror on what we waste; it may possibly even information us in direction of cooking extra resourcefully and creatively.Compost cake with coconut icingThis is a enjoyable riff on the basic carrot or courgette cake, designed to make use of up scraps of candy fruit and veg. Be ingenious however discerning with what you embody, so assume beetroot, squash, apple or citrus zest, and go away the garlic and pink onion for one more day. When you preserve a raw-ingredient compost bin (we use a council-issued one), you may even choose via it for potential substances; if not, subsequent time you prepare dinner, determine the scraps you can incorporate into this cake, so turning them into one thing scrumptious.I usually make this cake with extra-virgin olive oil or sunflower oil, however on this event I used leftover plant-based spreads from testing grocery store “butters” for the meals filter column. This recipe makes a big, moist cake that wants a good-sized pan and takes longer to prepare dinner than you would possibly assume.For the cake300g fruit and vegetable scraps (eg, beetroot peelings, apple cores, squash ends)300g oil, or plant-based spread3 eggs300g wholemeal plain flour, advantageous milled ideally200g unrefined sugar3 tsp baking powderFor the coconut icing (non-compulsory)1 can full-fat coconut milk, chilled for not less than 10 hours1 tsp vanilla extract65g icing sugar, siftedFinely grated zest of ½ orange, lemon or lime, plus slightly additional to complete (non-compulsory)1–2 tbsp cornflour, or arrowroot powder (non-compulsory; it will make a firmer icing)Blended seeds and chopped nuts, to prime (non-compulsory)Rose petals, to prime (non-compulsory)Begin by making the icing. Open the can of chilled coconut milk and scoop simply the solidified thick cream right into a bowl, leaving the coconut water behind. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and, if utilizing, the citrus zest and cornflour, whip till mild and fluffy, then cowl and put within the fridge.Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. Put your chosen fruit and veg scraps in a meals processor and pulse till finely chopped. Add the oil, eggs, flour, sugar and baking powder, and mix once more till simply mixed.Scrape the batter right into a greased and lined cake tin, then bake for 55–65 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the center comes out clear. Go away to chill within the tin for 5 minutes, then end up on to a rack. As soon as the cake is totally cool, unfold the icing excessive, then scatter with seeds, chopped nuts, rose petals or/and additional grated citrus zest, when you like.