How to make carrot cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 200ml/7fl oz vegetable or sunflower oil, plus a little extra for the tin
• 250g/9oz carrots, coarsely grated
• 100g/3½oz raisins or sultanas
• 100g/3½oz walnut pieces, plus a few extra for decoration
• 1 orange, zest only
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 200g/7oz light muscovado sugar

For the frosting

• 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 45g/3 tbsp caster sugar
• 300g/10½oz full fat cream cheese

Method

1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a deep, 20cm/8in round cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Break the eggs into a bowl, and lightly whisk using a fork.

3. Add the vegetable oil to the eggs and whisk again.

4. Add the grated carrots, raisins, walnut pieces and orange zest.

5. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir in the sugar.

6. Add the wet carrot mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine, making sure there are no pockets of flour.

7. Spoon the cake batter into the lined tin and bake on the middle shelf for 1 - 1¼ hrs, until the cake has risen and is golden-brown all over.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside in the tin to cool for 10-15 mins, then turn the cake out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

9. While the cake cools, make the frosting. Place the butter in a large bowl with the caster sugar, beat it for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy, then beat in the cream cheese until smooth.

10. Place the cake on to a serving plate or cake stand. Use a palette knife, or wide flat bladed knife, to spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Scatter more walnuts on the top. It’s now ready to serve.

Tips

Before frosting, the cake will keep for a week and can be frozen for up to a month. Once the cake is frosted keep chilled.