Carrot cake

This delicious carrot cake is from Avoca.  It makes two quite large cakes.  Neither lasted very long.....

Line your baking tins with baking parchment. 

Whisk together 14oz sugar, 4 eggs and 400ml sunflower oil until thick and pale, then mix in 14oz self raising flour and 1tsp mixed spice.

Stir in 14oz grated carrots and 1tsp vanilla essence.

Bake at 170c for 1 hour or until done. 

Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the topping:

Beat 6oz cream cheese, 2oz butter, 12oz icing sugar and the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Spread on top. 

Make a pot of tea and enjoy!

Mary Berry's carrot cake

I warned you there would be a lot of Mary Berry coming up!

This cake is delicious and moist, and much easier to make than I thought. And I am counting it as one of my 5 a day.

Measure into a large bowl: 225g self-raising flour, 2tsps baking powder, 150g light muscavado sugar, 50g chopped walnuts, 100g grated carrots (mind your fingers!), 2 mashed ripe bananas, 2 large eggs and 150ml sunflower oil.

Beat until smooth and turn into 8 inch deep round cake tin, base lined with baking parchment. Bake at 180C (160C fan) for 50 - 60 minutes.

For the topping, beat 175g full fat soft cheese, 50g softened butter and 100g sifted icing sugar.

Decorate with walnuts.

Enjoy!