Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake would have to be my all time favourite cake. Every time I return to my home town, I can't resist going to a little cafe (zigg zagg) in the city of Napier that serves one amazing carrot cake. Its the most moist carrot cake I have ever had, it just melts in your mouth. I have tried for years to bake something remotely close to it, and this next recipe is the closest I think I have come. I have topped the cakes with some apricots, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds like they do at this little cafe, it adds to the texture and makes the cake even better. The icing is a must, an absolute must in any carrot cake and quite simply makes it. Carrot cake without icing is like, a chocolate cake without chocolate, bacon and eggs without the bacon, bread without flour, its just not right. So if you decide to make this cake without the icing don't say you weren't warned. Enjoy xxx

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons Nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup of oil

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup walnuts

2 cups carrots

Icing

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

200g cream cheese

1 medium lemon

Pre heat oven to 180C

Sift the flour, spices and baking powder into a bowl, add the sugar then stir through. Add in the eggs, oil and milk and stir until combined. Stir through the walnuts and carrot then pour into 3 small loaf tins 9x15cm.

Cook for 45minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, place the cream cheese into a bowl and sift in the icing sugar, using an electric beater beat until smooth then stir through the lemon juice.