Edmonds Cookbook is legendary in NZ. It was first published in 1955, with a further 56 reprints. It has sold over 3 million copies, which for a country with a population of little more than 4 million, that really is pretty good going! Kiwis are very proud of this cookbook, and it is regarded very much as a national institution. I was lucky enough to be given a copy this week, and thought I'd better dip straight in!!
My first experience of baking from the Edmonds book was a good one. The carrot cake was so moist, and proved very popular.

Carrot Cake
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamoon
3 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used dessicated coconut as MacMan isn't keen on walnuts)
1 tsp orange rind
3/4 cup crushed pineapple

• Beat eggs until thick. Stir in oil.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into the egg mixture and combine.
• Fold in carrots, walnuts (or coconut!), orange rind and pineapple.
• Grease and line the base of a 23cm ring tin. (I used two loaf tins). Spoon mixture into tin.
• Bake at 180C for 40 minutes, until cake springs back when pressed gently.
• Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
• When cold, ice with cream cheese icing if wished.

Cream cheese icing
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

• Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in icing sugar and lemon rind, beating well to continue.