Easy Carrot Cake by Good Food

Ingredients

• 230g Carrots, grated (about 3 medium carrots)
• 100g Walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (divided for cake and topping)
• 100g Sultanas or raisins
• 230ml Vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin
• 100g Natural yogurt
• 4 Large eggs
• 1½ tsp Vanilla extract
• ½ Orange, zested
• 265g Self-raising flour
• 335g Light muscovado sugar
• 2½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• ¼ Fresh nutmeg, finely grated
• Pinch Salt
• 100g Slightly salted butter, softened (for icing)
• 300g Icing sugar (for icing)
• 100g Soft cheese (for icing)
• 2 20cm cake tins
• As needed Baking parchment

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Lightly oil two 20cm round cake tins, then line the base and sides of each with baking parchment, ensuring the parchment comes slightly above the tin's edge.
2. In a large jug, whisk together the vegetable oil, natural yogurt, large eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest until well combined and smooth.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, light muscovado sugar, ground cinnamon, finely grated nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt. Use your fingers to rub any lumps out of the muscovado sugar, shaking the bowl occasionally to bring new lumps to the surface until the sugar is uniformly fine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients from the jug into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the grated carrots, sultanas or raisins, and half of the roughly chopped walnuts or pecans (if using nuts in the cake batter). Mix everything thoroughly with a spatula or spoon until just combined and no dry streaks of flour remain; avoid overmixing.
5. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake tins. Spread the mixture gently to level the tops.
6. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a wooden skewer into the center of each cake; it should come out clean. If any wet batter clings to the skewer, return the cakes to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, then re-check. Once baked, remove from the oven and let them cool completely in their tins on a wire rack before attempting to remove.
7. While the cakes cool, prepare the cream cheese icing. In a medium bowl, beat the softened slightly salted butter and 300g of icing sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light, smooth, and fluffy.
8. Add half of the soft cheese to the butter and icing sugar mixture and beat again until fully incorporated. Then, add the remaining soft cheese gradually, beating continuously until the icing is smooth and free of lumps. This gradual addition helps prevent the icing from splitting.
9. Once the cakes are completely cool, carefully remove them from their tins and peel off the baking parchment. Place one cake layer on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread half of the prepared cream cheese icing evenly over the top.
10. Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the iced first layer, creating a sandwich. Spread the remaining cream cheese icing over the top of the second cake layer.
11. Finish by scattering the remaining half of the chopped walnuts or pecans generously over the iced cake. The cake is best eaten at room temperature but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.