carrot cake
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- 1hr 10mins plus cooling time
- Easy
- Serves 12
Ingredients
- 250ml (8fl oz) sunflower oil
- 225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
- large pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 250g (9oz) carrots, peeled and grated
- Frosting
- 50g (2oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225g cream cheese eg philadelphia
- 25g (1oz) icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- To finish
- 8 pecan halves, roughly chopped
Method
- STEP 1grease and base line two 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tins and pre-heat oven 180oC (160oC fan oven) mark 4. whisk the oil and sugar together (use hand held whisk) then whisk in eggs, one at a time. sift flour, salt and spices together over the mixture and gently fold in using large metal spoon. mix in grated carrots (I use food processor to grate carrots as quicker than a hand-held grater).
- STEP 2divide mixture between cake tins and bake at 180oC (160oC fan oven) mark 4 for 30-40 mins (my fan oven takes 50 mins to cook this cake) or until golden and a skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Leave in tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool
- STEP 3To make frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together in a bowl until light and fluffy, sift in icing sugar, add the vanilla extract and beat well until smooth. Spread some of the frosting over one cake and sandwich together with the other cake. Spread the remaining frosting on top and sprinkle with pecans ( lovely cake with or without the nuts)
- STEP 4cake will keep for up to a week if stored in airtight container if it is stored before the frosting is added. (i very often do this and cake still moist when eaten)