This is my all time favorite carrot cake recipe. It is so simple and yet delicious. The cake texture turns out moist and soft with essential fresh ingredients used.

Ingredients

175g sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

• 175 light muscovado sugar ( I use white sugar )
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175 grated carrots
• 85g sultanas
• 55g walnut pieces
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 175g self raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 grated nutmeg
• strips of orange zest, to decorate

Frosting(optional)

• 200g full fat soft cheese
• 100g icing sugar
• 2 tsp orange juice

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180’C. Grease and line the base of a 23cm square cake tin(round tin if fine).

2 In a large bowl beat together the oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in the grated carrots, sultanas, walnuts and orange rind.

3 Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg then stir evenly into the carrot mixture.

4 Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. It is also ready when skewer inserted in the center comes clean.

5 Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out to cool completely.

For The Frost(Optional), combine soft cheese, icing sugar and orange juice in a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and swirl with a palette knife. Decorate with strips of orange zest and serve out into squares.