Carrot Cake

According to an independent quality tester (Neil...), my best cake to date! The cheesecake feels offended.

Carrot Cake:


Ingredients:

• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g dark brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 250ml oil
• orange zest (1 orange)
• ½ tsp orange essence
• 200g carrots , finely grated
• a cup of mixed raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries and candied orange peel, or any combination of the above

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin.

2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar.

3. Beat the eggs with the oil, orange essence and zest. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the raisins etc.

4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.



Cream Frosting:


Ingredients:

• 125g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 50g icing sugar
• 250g cream cheese

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then mix in the cream cheese.

2. Spread on the (cooled) cake.

3. Leave in the fridge for a while to set.