Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 300g plain flour
• 350g carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200g light brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 200ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 75g sultanas (optional)
• 300g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C / gas 6. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang for easy lifting later.
2. Whisk the eggs and light brown sugar in a large bowl for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is thick, glossy and pale — this is where the sponge gets its lift, so don't rush it. Pour in the vegetable oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, satiny batter.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and a proper pinch of salt over the wet mix. The salt isn't optional here — it sharpens the spice and stops the sponge tasting flat. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined; stop the moment the streaks of flour disappear, because overworking now means a tough crumb later.
4. Tip in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts and sultanas and fold through until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick and flecked with orange — that's exactly right.
5. Scrape into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges have pulled away slightly from the tin, and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. The sponge should spring back when pressed in the middle.
6. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold. Any residual warmth will turn your icing into a slick — patience here pays off.
7. While the cake cools, beat the softened butter and sifted icing sugar together for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat for another minute, just until silky and spreadable. Taste it — a tiny pinch of salt will lift the vanilla and cut the sweetness; adjust now, before it's on the cake.
8. Spoon the icing generously over the cooled sponge and swirl with a palette knife in lazy curves and peaks for a rustic finish. Scatter the walnut halves across the top, dust with a whisper of cinnamon, and slice into 12 generous squares.