Luxurious Carrot Cake
For a more luxurious cake, double the icing, slice the cake in two, and fill the middle as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 pinch salt
- 100g walnuts
- 3 large large eggs
- 225g soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g carrots, finely grated
- 100g sultanas
- 200g self-raising flour
- 75g wholemeal self-raising flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tbs nutmeg, finely grated
- 1 orange, finely grated zest
For the icing:
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 200g icing sugar
- 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
- 2 oranges
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4). Bake the walnuts for 5 minutes, until light brown.
- Put the nuts on a clean tea towel and rub them to remove excess skin. Set aside to cool.
- Pour the oil and eggs into a large bowl, tip in the sugar, and add the vanilla.
- Using an electric whisk, beat the oil mixture until it is lighter and noticeably thickened.
- Squeeze the grated carrot thoroughly in a clean tea towel to remove excess liquid.
- Gently fold the carrot into the cake batter, ensuring it is evenly blended throughout.
- Chop the cooled walnuts roughly, leaving some large pieces.
- Add the walnuts to the mixture, along with the sultanas, and gently fold them in.
- Sift over the 2 types of flour, then tip in any bran remaining in the sieve.
- Add the salt, spices, and orange zest, and fold all the ingredients together to combine.
- Oil the tin and line with parchment. Pour in the cake mix and smooth with a palette knife.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Test by inserting a skewer into the cake; it should come out clean.
- If not, bake for a few more minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla. Grate in the zest of 1 orange.
- Using an electric whisk, mix all the ingredients until smooth, pale, and fluffy.
- Using a palette knife, spread the icing over the cake. Make swirls for texture.
- For additional decoration, zest the remaining orange using a zester tool.
- Sprinkle the orange zest over the icing in an attractive pattern and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.
