Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:60 - 75 minutes
Level of Difficulty:Easy
Servings:12

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 140ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil
• 200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
• 300g (11oz) grated carrot (weight when grated)
• 100g (31/2oz) raisins
• 75g (3oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 180g (61/2oz) self raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• For the orange cream cheese icing:
• 250g (9oz) cream cheese (straight from the fridge)
• 50g (2oz) butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 275g (10oz) icing sugar, sifted
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

Method

1. You will need a 13 x 23cm (5 x 9in) loaf tin
2. 1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2. Oil and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
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4. 2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and chopped nuts.
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6. 3. Sift in the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon.
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8. 4. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1-11/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
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10. 5. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
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12. 6. To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until combined. Add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and finely grated orange zest and mix to combine. The icing should be smooth and quite thick. Using a palette knife, spread the icing evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out. Cut into slices to serve.
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14. Rachel's Baking Tip:
15. Un-iced, this cake is also delicious sliced and buttered.
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