Ingredients: |
Ingredients: FOR THE CARROT CAKE 140ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing 2 eggs 200g soft light brown sugar 300g grated carrot (grated weight) 100g raisins 75g pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional) 180g self raising flour 1 pinch salt 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp. mixed spice
FOR THE ORANGE CREAM CHEESE ICING 250g cream cheese, chilled 50g butter, at room temperature 1tsp. vanilla extract 275g icing sugar 1 orange, zest only
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat the oven to 150ºC/gas mark 2. Oil and line a 13 x 23cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
For the carrot cake: beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts.
Sift the rest of the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a large metal spoon, until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about five minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
For the icing: beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix until the icing is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread. Cut into slices to serve. |