Ingredients

• 4 free-range eggs
• at room temperature
• 200ml/7fl oz vegetable or sunflower oil
• plus a little extra for the tin
• 250g/9oz carrots
• coarsely grated
• 100g/3½oz raisins or sultanas
• 100g/3½oz walnut pieces
• plus a few extra for decoration
• 1 orange
• zest only
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 200g/7oz light muscovado sugar
• 150g/5½oz unsalted butter
• at room temperature
• 45g/3 tbsp caster sugar
• 300g/10½oz full fat cream cheese

Directions

• For the cake
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a deep
• 20cm/8in round cake tin with baking parchment.
• Break the eggs into a bowl
• and lightly whisk using a fork.
• Add the vegetable oil to the eggs and whisk again.
• Add the grated carrots
• raisins
• walnut pieces and orange zest.
• In a separate bowl
• sift the flour
• mixed spice
• bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir in the sugar.
• Add the wet carrot mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine
• making sure there are no pockets of flour.
• Spoon the cake batter into the lined tin and bake on the middle shelf for 1 - 1¼ hrs
• until the cake has risen and is golden-brown all over.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set aside in the tin to cool for 10-15 mins
• then turn the cake out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• While the cake cools
• make the frosting. Place the butter in a large bowl with the caster sugar
• beat it for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy
• then beat in the cream cheese until smooth.
• Place the cake on to a serving plate or cake stand. Use a palette knife
• or wide flat bladed knife
• to spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Scatter more walnuts on the top. It’s now ready to serve.