Supplies

Cake

  • 150 grams sultanas
  • Zest and juice 1 orange
  • 225 millilitres sunflower oil, plus extra to grease
  • 225 grams light muscovado sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 225 grams self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 200 grams carrots, coarsely grated
  • 50 grams walnuts, roughly chopped, plus 50 grams extra for decoration

Sugared Carrots

  • 2 large carrots, peeled
  • 200 grams water
  • 200 grams orange juice
  • 400 grams caster sugar, plus extra for decoration

Icing

  • 250 grams unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 400 grams full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 300 grams icing sugar

Steps

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 170 C / 150 C fan.
  2. Grease and line the base and sides of 3 x 18cm cake tins with parchment paper.
  3. Put the sultanas into a bowl with the orange juice and set aside. Add the orange zest, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla to a large jug or bowl and whisk together until smooth and set aside.
  4. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large bowl and mix. Add the grated carrots and mix to coat the carrots in the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
  5. Stir in the sultanas and walnuts then scrape the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. You may need to cover with tin foil after 45 minutes if the top looks like it’s getting too dark. Leave to cool for 5min in the tins, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Sugared Carrots

  1. To make the sugared carrots, turn the oven down to 120 C / 100 C fan.
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and then lightly grease with cooking spray. Remove long, thin strips from the carrots using a vegetable peeler.
  3. Bring the water, orange juice and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan set over a medium-high heat then add the carrot strips and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  4. Simmer for 15 minutes then drain and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Spread the carrot strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a good amount of space between each strip. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Working quickly, wrap each carrot strip around the handle of a wooden spoon, forming curls and gently slide off the spoon. Sprinkle with sugar and let the curls sit at room temperature until completely dry (about 30 minutes).

Icing

  1. To make the icing, brown the butter in a pan then pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely so that it is solidified but still soft.
  2. Show butter browning - take to bottom to cool
  3. In a large bowl beat the softened browned butter and vanilla until completely smooth, then add the room-temperature cream cheese and mix to combine. Sift over the icing sugar and mix on a low speed until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Sandwich the 3 cakes together and place on a cake stand/plate. Spread remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake and then pile on the carrot decorations.
  5. Coarsely chop the 50 grams of walnuts that you set aside for decoration and sprinkle them over the cake then serve in slices.