Carrot Cake

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 200g caster sugar
• 1tspn vanilla extract
• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. clove, ginger and mace spice mix (all equivalent volume)
• 6 oz grated carrots
• 2.5 oz walnut piece
• 2 oz raisins

• 2.5 oz softened butter
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 15 oz icing sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (gas mark 4). Grease and flour a large baking tin.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, caster sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir in carrots and fold in walnut and raisins. Pour into the prepared tin.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make topping: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of cake when it has cooled.