A light-textured, smoothly spiced carrot cake with a not-too-sweet frosting.

Ingredients

• 175 grams butter, softened
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1½ cups grated carrot
• 70 gram packet walnuts, chopped
• Maple syrup cream cheese icing
• 125 grams cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin. Place the cake rack at the centre or just below the centre of the oven.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the maple syrup and eggs well.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together and fold into themixture with the carrots and walnuts. Spread the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes until golden and well rises and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack. When cold, spread with the Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Icing and decorate with additional walnuts and orange rind if wished.
6. Maple syrup cream cheese icing
7. Beat all the ingredients together well and spread thickly over the cake.

Cooks Tips

- Make individual carrot cakes in muffin-sized moulds. Bake for 25-30 minutes.