Carrot cake recipe

Carrot cake Ingredients:

3 1/2oz (100g) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

12oz (340g) raw carrots finely grated

10oz (280g) flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated white sugar

8 1/2oz (240 ml)vegetable or canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping and filling:

1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter at room temperature

8 oz(227g) cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups (230g) Icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract

finely grated lemon zest of one lemon

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

To stop your cake sticking to the tin cover with butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Toast your pecans or walnuts for around 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Let them cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate your carrots. Then put to one side.

In a another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Again put to one side.

Use an electric mixer (or hand mixer) to beat the eggs until frothy for around a minute. Gradually add the sugar and mix until the batter is thick and light colored for around 3 to 4 minutes.

Then add the oil in a steady stream and then mix in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Then with a large spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Then divide the batter between the two oiled cake pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the cakes cool on a wire rack. Then after about 5 to 10 minutes turn over the cakes onto the wire rack. Then remove the pans and parchment paper and then let the cakes cool completely before icing the top and between the layers.

To put together: place one cake layer, top side down, onto your serving plate. Spread with about one third of the icing. Then carefully place the other cake on top of cake facing down, onto the icing, and spread the rest of the icing over the top. If you fancy press the toasted and finely chopped nuts on the sides of the cake.