Classic Carrot Cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan ovens 20 °C lower) for 15 min. Take the eggs out of the fridge so they come to room temperature.

   oven

2. Lightly oil a 15 cm round cake tin and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Peel the carrots and grate them on the fine side of a box grater. Finely zest the orange, taking only the coloured skin, not the bitter white pith. Roughly chop the walnuts.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and oil for 1 min 30 sec until the sugar has mostly dissolved and the mixture looks paler and slightly thick.

   Add in this stepEggs, at room temperature 2Light brown soft sugar 110 gSunflower oil (or rapeseed oil) 95 ml

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt into another bowl. Tip into the egg mixture and fold gently with a spatula, scooping from the bottom, until no dry flour is visible. Add the grated carrot, the walnuts (keep a small handful back for the top), the sultanas and the orange zest and fold two or three more times. Overmixing makes the cake tough.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 130 gBaking powder 1 tspBicarbonate of soda ¼ tspGround cinnamon 1 tspMixed spice ½ tspGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt 1 pinchCarrots, peeled and finely grated 130 gWalnuts, roughly chopped 40 gSultanas or raisins 40 gOrange (zest only) ½

5. Pour the batter into the tin, level the top and bake in the oven at 170°C for 32 min. It is done when a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean, the top springs back when pressed lightly, and the edges are just pulling away from the tin.

   oven

6. Cool in the tin for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold. Frosting a warm cake makes it melt and slide off, so wait until it feels cool to the touch.

7. Beat the softened butter with the sifted icing sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add the cold cream cheese and beat for 2 min, just until smooth. Beating cream cheese for too long makes it runny.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened 30 gIcing sugar 60 gVanilla extract ½ tspFull-fat cream cheese, cold 125 g

8. Spread the frosting over the top of the cold cake with a palette knife or the back of a spoon and scatter over the reserved walnuts. Chill for 20 min to set the frosting before slicing.

   Add in this stepWalnuts, roughly chopped 10 g