Scrumptious Carrot Cake

• Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and flour two 8/9” round cake tins.
• Sieve the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, bread soda and baking powder and set aside.
• Put the eggs, sugar and oil in a bowl and whisk using a electric mixer or hand held mixer for approximately 7 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add in all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until flour disappears into the mix.
• Fold in the crated carrots and walnuts and mix until well incorporated.
• Divide the cake mix equally into the two prepared cake tins.
• Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

For the icing...

• Beat the sieved icing sugar, vanilla essence, and butter together for approximately8 minutes until well incorporated. Add the cream cheese and mix again for a further 5 minutes until nice and creamy, then chill until needed.

• When the carrot cake is cold, place one of the cakes on a plate and spread 1tablespoon of icing on top.

• Place the second cake on top of the icing and using a palette knife or spatula, spread the icing over the sides and top of the cake.
• Decorate as desired with the additional walnuts. Chill the cake for 1 hour to allow the icing to set before serving. Enjoy!

Note

• If you wish, you can make 2 x 2lb carrot cake loafs, using loaf tins. Or make a traybake carrot cake in a large baking tray. Please bear in mind that cooking times may need to be adjusted.

• 400g soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 400ml sunflower oil
• 400g plain flour
• 1 ½ tsp bread soda
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 400g grated carrots
• 100g chopped walnuts +extra to decorate.

Cream cheese frosting

• 600g sieved icing sugar
• 100g butter (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 250g full fat cream cheese