Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Two layers of moist carrot cake, sandwiched together with cream cheese frosting, dusted and cinnamon and sprinkled with chopped walnuts. A classic bake, perfect for your Easter Sunday celebrations.

Ingredients (makes a two layer 8inch cake)

For the carrot cake:

• 300g soft light brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 300g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g carrots, grated
• Zest of a large orange
• 100g walnuts, chopped
• 100g sultanas
  
  For the cream cheese frosting:
  
• 150g icing sugar
• 75g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
• 1 tsp milk
• 75g full-fat cream cheese, cold from the fridge
• Cinnamon, for dusting
• 20g extra walnuts, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line two 8inch round baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest.
4. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry until combined.
5. Fold in the grated carrot, sultanas and chopped walnuts.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the two baking tins. Bake for 35-40 mins until the cakes are golden in colour and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to completely cool.
7. Now make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter, icing sugar and milk with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes until smooth and creamy.
8. Gently fold in the cream cheese until combined. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can quickly become runny.
9. Sandwich the cakes together with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.
10. Spread a layer of frosting on top, dust with cinnamon and decorate with walnuts.