Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 100g/3½oz ground almonds
• 50g/1¾oz raisins
• 50g/1¾oz walnut halves
• roughly broken
• 4 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 100ml/3½fl oz sunflower oil
• plus extra for greasing
• 3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• 300g/10½oz carrots
• coarsely grated
• 150g/5½oz full-fat cream cheese
• 1 medium orange
• finely grated zest only

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 20cm/8in springform cake tin with baking parchment.
• Put the flour
• almonds
• raisins
• walnuts
• mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Make a well in the centre.
• In a separate bowl
• whisk the eggs
• oil and milk together and stir in the grated carrot. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients
• stirring to form a thick batter.
• Pour into the prepared tin and spread to the sides. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour
• or until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
• Take the cake out of the tin and peel off the lining paper. Put the cake on a board or plate.
• To make the frosting
• stir the cheese and orange zest together. Spread evenly over the cake.
• Cut into small wedges to serve.