Makes one 30 cm round cake.
Ingredients
300g carrot, peeled and finely grated
250g unsalted butter
300g soft brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon mixed spice
350g plain flour
1 level tablespoon baking powder
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
250g finely ground almonds
For the icing and garnish:
250g cream cheese
200g icing sugar, sifted
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
60g chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
You will need 1 x 30cm (12 inch) cake tin or springform mould, lightly oiled.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs to the creamed mixture, beating well between each addition.
Sift the spices, a little salt, flour and baking powder together; fold into the creamed cake mixture. Stir in the carrots, lemon zest and juice and ground almonds. Put the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread flat with a knife. Bake for 1 hour, or until cooked; a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean when the cake is ready.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Loosen from the tin and lift onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Mix together the icing sugar, cream cheese, orange zest and juice. Smooth over the top of the cake and decorate with the chopped walnuts.
