Yummy Carrot Cake

I had promised my hubby a carrot cake for Valentines but I got a bit carried away with the biscuits and I made some truffles so any more would have just been too much. So this weekend I finally got to make him the carrot cake.

I use a modified Delia Smith recipe, well it suits my family. The Delia one is excellent especially since its low fat but we like a different topping and I use raisins rather than sultanas  and ordinary flour rather than whole meal. I also use different spices. So if you want Delia's Recipe you'll find it in her 'Delia's How to Cook Book One'. Its a great book and as with all Delia's recipes it works failure to get good results is unheard of.

Here though is my recipe.

Ingredients 

Cake

175 g Brown Sugar
2 Eggs large.
120 ml sunflower oil
1 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda
200 g Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon 
1/4 tsp Ginger
Pinch of Cloves
Zest of Orange
Zest of Lemon.
175 g Raisins 
200 g grated Carrot 

Topping

1 tub large cream Cheese (Philadelphia is preferred)
300 g- 350 g Icing Sugar 
Lemon juice.

Method.

Pre heat oven to170 c 325 f or Gas Mark 4.

Line a rectangular baking tin with baking parchment 

Whisk eggs, sugar and oil together until its nicely foamy.

Add to this the sifted flour spices and bicarbonate soda and stir in with care.

Once this has been stirred in then add raisins, orange and lemon zest and grated carrot.

Pour mixture into baking tin and place in the centre of the oven cooking for 35-40 minutes. I normally check with a metal skewer to ensure its cooked.

Once cooked place on a cooling rack.

Whilst its cooling make up topping. Mix icing sugar with cream cheese and lemon juice into a thick fairly stiff mix.

When cake is completely cooled spread topping over the cake.

You can leave the cake to cut when serving or do as I do and cut into several squares. I find cutting it before serving means people don't cut too big a slice which they then cant eat and waste. Well that's just me you do as you wish.