Ingredients
- Soft butter, to line the tray
- 3 eggs
- 200ml sunflower oil
- 125g caster sugar
- 100g light soft brown sugar
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1tsp salt
- 1tsp grated nutmeg
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 4 carrots, finely grated with green tops reserved
- 40g chopped walnuts
- 50g chopped dates
- 1tbs vanilla bean paste
- For the topping:
- 200ml orange juice
- 100g light soft brown sugar
- 400g cream cheese
- 80g icing sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1tbs chopped walnuts
- Green carrot tops
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Brush a baking tray (about 30cm x 20cm and 3cm deep) with soft butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of the parchment paper to make it easier to lift the carrot cake out of the tray when cooked.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, oil, caster sugar and brown sugar.
- Now add the flour, salt, spices and orange zest, stirring until you have a fairly wet batter.
- Finish by folding in the carrots, walnuts, dates and vanilla bean paste. Pour and scrape the mix into the lined baking tray, then level it out with a spatula.
- Bake in the oven at 160 degrees for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, then remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray.
- While the carrot cake is cooling, make the syrup and icing. Place the orange juice and brown sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Then remove from the heat and spoon some of the syrup over the top of the cooling carrot cake until it soaks in.
- To make the icing, whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and juice in a bowl until smooth.
- When the carrot cake has cooled, carefully lift it out of the tray, remove the parchment paper, and place on a board. Spread the icing evenly over the top of the bake, then garnish with the orange zest, some more chopped walnuts, and the reserved green carrot tops. Slice and serve.
