Carrot cake

 Ingredients 

For the cake 

 

225 ml sunflower oil, plus some extra to grease

225 g light muscovado sugar

4 medium eggs

225 g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

1½ teaspoon mixed spice

1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoon ground ginger 

150 g sultanas

200 g carrots, coarsely grated

50-75 g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

For the icing 

250 g unsalted butter, very soft

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

400 g full-fat cream cheese at room temperature

300 g icing sugar

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan oven), mark 3
2. Grease the base and sides of a round tin, 20 cm, and line with parchment paper
3. Put the oil, sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk until smooth
4. Add flour, soda and spices to the bowl and mix to combine
5. Stir in the sultanas, carrots and nuts
6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface
7. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
8. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack, and leave to cool completely

Icing

1. Beat the butter and vanilla in a large bowl until completely smooth
2. Add the cream cheese and mix to combine
3. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and mix, carefully at first else there will be clouds of icing sugar) until smooth and fluffy
4.  Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally through the middle
5. Use half the icing to sandwich the halves back together

Cake + icing

1. Place the cake on a cake stand or plate.
2. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake
   
3.  Place the carrot decorations on top, if you like
4. Slice and serve