A spin on the classic, by Rachel Allen
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 150 ml (5fl oz) sunflower or vegetable oil
- 200 g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
- 300 g (11oz) peeled and grated carrots (weight when grated)
- 75 g (3oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
- 175 g (6oz) self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- pinch of salt
- for the icing
- 100 g (31/2 oz) cream cheese
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200 g (7oz) icing sugar, sifted
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2), and line the base and sides of the loaf tin (900g/2lb) with baking parchment, with the paper coming above the sides of the tin to enable the cake to be lifted out easily.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl to break them up, then whisk in the oil, sugar, grated carrots and chopped nuts.
- Sift in the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the surface with a palette knife, and bake in the oven for between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then carefully lift the cake out of the tin with the lining paper. Peel away the baking parchment and place on a wire rack to cool down fully before you ice it.
- While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Beat all the ingredients together, then use a palette knife to spread evenly over the cake.
