Carrot cake recipe

This delicious but simple carrot cake recipe is a perfect treat to accompany a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 230ml vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ orange, zested
• 265g self-raising flour
• 335g light muscovado sugar
• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 large carrots grated
• 100g sultanas or raisins

For the icing

• 100g slightly salted butter, softened
• 300g icing sugar
• 100g soft cheese
• Walnuts to decorate

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl
3. Whisk the olive oil, eggs, vanilla and orange zest in a separate bowl
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Once mixed add the carrots and raisins to the mixture.
5. Once combined divide the mixture into 2 cake tins
6. Bake for 25- 30 mins. To check it’s cooked all the way through insert a skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is ready, if not return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins.
8. Icing – beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the soft cheese a little bit at a time.
9. Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together using half of the icing. Add the remaining icing to the top and use walnuts to decorate.

Best eaten at room temperature.