Family friendly Dessert

Extra-special carrot cake

Name: Extra-special carrot cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2 cups self-raising flour; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp mixed spice; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar; ¾ cup pistachios, chopped; 300g carrots, peeled, grated; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; ⅔ cup vegetable oil; 1 orange, finely zested; 500g cream cheese, at room temperature; 60g unsalted butter, softened; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup orange juice; 2 cups icing sugar, sifted; 1 carrot; 1/2 cup caster sugar

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1h 20m

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This extra special carrot cake tastes as good as it looks. It might even give your grandma's recipe a run for its money!

2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup pistachios, chopped
300g carrots, peeled, grated
3 eggs, lightly beaten
⅔ cup vegetable oil
1 orange, finely zested

Frosting

500g cream cheese, at room temperature
60g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup orange juice
2 cups icing sugar, sifted

Candied carrots

1 carrot
1/2 cup caster sugar

Method

1.

For candied carrot, preheat oven to 120°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Peel 1 carrot and cut into long thin shreds (or use a mandoline).
2.

Stir sugar and ½ cup (250ml) water in a small pan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Add carrot and simmer for 5 minutes or until soft. Using 2 forks, lift shreds out of the syrup, draining off excess and pile onto a tray.
3.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until dry. Cool completely, then use to decorate the cake when ready.
4.

For the cake, preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line base with baking paper.
5.

Sift flour, spices and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in sugar, pistachios and carrot. Combine egg, oil and orange zest in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to cake pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
6.

Meanwhile, for the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and orange juice. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
7.

Cut cake crosswise into three layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and spread with frosting. Repeat layering, ending with the frosting. Top with candied carrot, if using.