Carrot Cake

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 4 (59g each) eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (310ml) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup (330g) caster sugar
• 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (100g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 cups (firmly packed) coarsely grated carrot (about 3 carrots)

• Cream-cheese icing

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g pkt cream cheese, softened
• 500g icing sugar mixture, sifted
• Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
• 2 tsp lemon juice

• Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base of tin of your choice (see notes). Whisk eggs, oil and vanilla in a jug until combined. Sift sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt into a bowl. Add oil mixture, walnuts and carrots, and stir to combine. Spoon into prepared tin, then bake on lowest shelf of oven for specified time (see notes) or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake in tin, then turn on to a wire rack.
  2. Meanwhile, for the icing, usuing an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar mixture, then add lemon rind and juice and beat until well combined.
  3. Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally. Spread 1/3 the icing over base, then sandwich with top. Spread remaining icing over top. Serve.

  Notes

  • Depending on which tin you choose, this recipe makes one large, two medium or six small cakes.
  • Choosing a cake tin
  • One deep round 25cm round cake tin: preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 55 minutes, covering top of cake with baking paper after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
  • Two deep 20cm round cake tins: Preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Six 11cm springform tins: preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 25 minutes.