I love this recipe so much, it’s the best carrot cake I have ever tasted. It’s so light, due to no butter in the cake mix, and lightly peppered with warm spices and creamy walnuts. You can add frosting if you wish, as we did for the photo, but it is also delicious left plain. You will need a 33 × 23cm (13 × 9-inch) traybake tin, or equivalent.
Ingredients:
200ml (7fl oz) vegetable oil, plus more for the tin
5 eggs
320g (11½oz) light brown soft sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
450g (1lb) peeled and grated carrots
100g (3½oz) golden raisins
150g (5½oz) walnuts, chopped
300g (10½oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Finely grated orange zest, to finish
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Oil a 33 x 23cm (13 x 9-inch) traybake tin and line it with baking paper.
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, carrots, raisins and walnuts.
3. Sift in the flour and bicarb and bring the mixture together using a large wooden or metal spoon until well combined. Scape the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
4. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about
5 minutes before removing it from the tin. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving, simply scattered with orange zest, if you prefer.
