Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Cake

285g Cornish butter

285g light brown sugar

5 large free range eggs

225g self raising flour

285g grated carrots

1tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp mixed spice

115g ground almonds

115g chopped walnuts

70g sultanas

juice and zest of an orange

Topping

60g very soft Cornish butter

50g icing sugar

300g Cornish crème fraîche

Extra walnuts and orange zest to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c, grease and line a 9 inch cake tin.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the spices, baking powder and ground almonds, stir until combined.  Using a hand held or free standing mixer beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Beat in one egg at a time, ensuring the mix is not curdling before adding the next, don’t rush this stage, it might take 10 minutes or so.

Add this to the flour and stir in gently until almost combined.  Add the carrots, walnuts, sultanas, orange juice and zest and stir together.

Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake for 1-1.5hrs, checking after an hour with a sharp knife or cocktail stick.  If the top starts to catch cover lightly with foil.

While the cake is cooking make the topping.  In a bowl beat together the butter and icing sugar until very smooth, then gently fold in the crème fraîche until just combined.  Place this in the fridge for a least an hour while the cake cools.

When the cake is completely cold, spoon the topping onto the middle of the cake and gently push it towards the edges with the back of a spoon.  Decorate with chopped walnuts and some orange zest.  Keep in an air tight box in the fridge for up to 5 days.