Easter Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 175g Light brown sugar
• 175ml Sunflower oil
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 140g Grated carrots
• 100g Raisins
• 100g Chopped walnuts
• Zest of one mandarin
• 175g Self-raising flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
• 100g Butter, softened
• 200g Icing sugar
• 3 tbsp Cream
• 100g Chopped walnuts
• Carrot sweet decorations

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl combine the sugar, oil, and beaten eggs. Whisk ingredients together until combined.
3. Add the carrots, raisins, walnuts, and mandarin zest to the mixture and blend together.
4. To the wet mixture, sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until all are combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the pre-lined cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. Leave the cake in the oven with the door open and heat off for 5 minutes to prevent any sinking. It should be golden brown and coming away from the edges of the tin, and springy to touch.
6. Once baked, wrap in a clean tea towel until fully cooled.
7. To make the buttercream: whisk the butter for 5 minutes with a handheld whisk or electric mixer until pale.
8. Gradually add the icing sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until it comes together.
9. Add cream once all icing sugar is added & beat for a further 5-10 minutes until pale and fluffy.
10. Once the cake is cooled completely, spoon the buttercream on top and spread with the back of a spoon. Can also halve the cake and spread in the middle if desired.
11. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top or around the sides to decorate and add the carrot sweets if using.