Carrot cake

Carrot cake reminds me of visits to garden centres and I used to love it when I was younger - particularly the ones with a thick layer of buttercream frosting in the middle and on the top.
I initially tried to make a cream cheese butter frosting but - note to self - don't use low fat cream cheese as it curdles and doesn't make for tasty icing! - I quickly resorted to butter cream icing which went down a treat - although I was a little too eager to spread it on the cake and next time I'll leave the cake to cool a little first.
I baked this in my loaf pan but next time think it might be nice to try a round cake.

I got loads of compliments for this including "the best carrot cake I've ever had!" - high praise indeed!

Serves 12

Ingredients

180g (6½ oz) self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp mixed spice

2 eggs

120 ml vegetable or sunflower oil

175g (6 oz) soft light or dark brown sugar

225g grated carrots

100g (4 oz) sultanas


Butter cream icing
75g (3 oz) softened butter

125g (4½ oz) icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

A few tbsp milk
You will need a 13cm x 23cm (5 in x 9 in) loaf tin, oil and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas mark 2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and leave aside. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, now add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot and sultanas. Stir in all sifted dry ingredients and bring the mixture together with a wooden spoon. Turn into the prepared tin, smooth the top of the mixture and bake in the oven for 1 – 1¼ hours – middle shelf or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make The Buttercream frosting:

Beat the butter in a bowl until smooth; add the vanilla extract, slowly add the icing sugar and add a little milk to make a smooth icing. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Served cut into slices.