Michelle Darmody: If you love carrot cake you have to try this alternative recipe

I generally use a springform tin for this cake but a loose-base one is also good.

Adding hazelnuts to the batter brings a crunch and also wonderful flavour. 

As the summer begins to wind down, more and more fruits and vegetables ripen and are ready to be picked and enjoyed. We are coming into the bounteous harvest season, which will culminate around the time of Samhain.

This year there is an even larger than usual harvest due to the warm summer sun. Grating some of the ripened vegetables into baking is a way to use them up without overindulging at the dinner table.