Dessert

Leftover Veg & Orange Cake Recipe

ByCleo Brixton December 5, 2025December 5, 2025

Introduction

This leftover vegetable and orange cake is a delightful way to use up any grated root vegetables you have on hand. Moist, fragrant, and gently spiced, it combines the sweetness of fruit with the earthiness of veg for a unique homemade treat.

The image shows a rectangular baked cake with a golden brown color, placed on a cooling rack. The cake has one square piece cut out and pulled slightly away to the left, revealing a moist, dense inside with a similar golden brown shade. The top is decorated with a creamy white glaze drizzled thickly in uneven lines and dotted with small white crumbly pieces. To the upper left side of the cooling rack, there is a clear glass bowl containing more white glaze with a spoon inside it. The entire scene is set on a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

200g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
140g sultanas or raisins
Zest and juice of 2 oranges, or 4 clementines
300g self-raising flour
300g light soft brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 large eggs, beaten with a fork
300g carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, butternut squash or swede, or a mixture, grated
200g icing sugar or fondant icing sugar
A few crushed white sugar cubes

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Grease and line a 30 x 20 cm baking or roasting tin with baking parchment.
Step 2: Combine the sultanas and the zest and juice from 1 orange (or 2 clementines) in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes to plump the fruit.
Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together the self-raising flour, brown sugar, mixed spice, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt.
Step 4: Stir the beaten eggs, melted butter, and sultana mixture into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon until combined.
Step 5: Fold in the grated vegetables, then transfer the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
Step 6: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the tin.
Step 7: To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then stir in the remaining orange zest plus enough juice to create a runny consistency.
Step 8: Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake and scatter with crushed white sugar cubes. Allow the icing to set before slicing into 15 squares to serve.

Tips & Variations

Vegetables vary in water content, so check the cake towards the end of baking; it may need a little less or more time to cook through perfectly.

Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be refrigerated for up to a week, but bring it back to room temperature before serving. The icing may soften when refrigerated. This cake freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw fully before serving.