Spiced

Carrot Cake with Orange Zest

Name: Carrot Cake with Orange Zest
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250g light brown sugar; 200ml vegetable oil; 3 large eggs; 250g self-raising flour; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 300g carrots, finely grated; 100g walnuts, roughly chopped; 75g sultanas (optional); Zest of 1 orange; 300g cream cheese, cold; 100g unsalted butter, softened; 200g icing sugar, sifted; Zest of 1 orange; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, studded with walnuts, finished with an orange cream cheese icing.

Prep20 min

Cook40 min

Serves12

LevelEasy

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line two 20cm round tins.
Whisk the sugar, oil, and eggs together until smooth.
Sift in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Fold until just combined.
Fold in the grated carrots, walnuts, sultanas, and orange zest.
Divide between tins and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks.
For the icing: beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add icing sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Beat until thick.
Sandwich the layers with half the icing. Spread the rest on top and swirl decoratively. Scatter extra walnuts on top.

Tips & Notes

Squeeze excess moisture from the grated carrots if they seem very wet.
The cake tastes even better the next day once the spices have mellowed.
For a lighter version, use half the icing and just frost the top.

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