A really easy four layered carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients:
- 400g plain flour
- 430g caster sugar
- 2.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 nutmeg, grated
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g ground walnuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 eggs
- 375g vegetable oil (grams not ml)
- 380g grated carrots
- Zest on a orange
- 300g full fat cream cheese
- 200g butter
- 1000g icing sugar
- Walnut pieces to decorateÂ
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line four 7″ inch baking tins.
- Place the plain flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ground walnuts in a bowl.
- In another bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together.
- Once the eggs and sugar mixture turns pale slowly add the oil in to the mixture whilst it continue to mix.
- Then add the grated carrots (make sure you squeeze as much moisture out of them), orange zest and the other bowl of dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold together until all is combined evenly.
- Pour 450g of the mixture into each of the 7″ inch baking tins.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes
- Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened butter for a couple of minutes until light and pale.
- Then add in the cream cheese and continue to beat together.
- Gradually add in the icing sugar whilst continuing to beat together.
- Once the cakes are cooked, remove from the oven and out of the baking tin and place on a wired rack to cool.
- Once cooled, trim the cakes and level off the top so they are all the same size.
- To begin assembling the cake use a spatula and place a small layer of icing on the board followed by the first piece of cake.
- Add alternate layers of cream cheese frosting and cake
- Afterwards, crumb coat the cake by placing a fine layer of cream cheese frosting on the outside and the top of the cake.
- Place back in the fridge for 30 min to harden and set.
- Coat the rest of the cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting using a spatula to get an even coverage.
- Top with walnut pieces before serving.
