Gourmet Carrot Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 ounces self raising flour
• 4 ounces plain flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 8 fluid ounces oil
• 6 ounces soft brown sugar
• 4 fluid ounces golden syrup
• 4 eggs
• 12 1/2 ounces grated carrots
• 2 ounces chopped walnuts or 2 ounces pecans
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ounces butter, softened
• 6 ounces icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 -2 teaspoon lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to warm 315df.
• 2 brush a deep 9 inch round cake tin with melted butter or oil.
• 3 line the base and side with baking paper.
• 4 sift the flours, spices and soda into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
• 5 whisk together the oil, sugar, syrup and eggs and gradually stir in the dry ingredients until smooth.
• 6 stir in the carrot and walnuts.
• 7 spoon the mixture into the tin.
• 8 bake for 1-1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
• 9 cool in the tin, then on a wire rack beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
• 10 gradually add the icing sugar alternately with the vanilla and lemon juice, beating until light and creamy.
• 11 spread the icing over the cake or cut th cake horizontally, sandwich the layers together with half the icing and spread the rest on top.