This was supposed to be a birthday cake for my flatmate, but when I arrived home I couldn’t help but steal a slice, so the celebrations will have to wait (sorry Holly). If you like carrot cakes, then I am sure you will love this. There is something festive about the orangey flavours, but it is a perfect cake at any time. Even better, this is an all-in-one carrot cake.
If you really are not a fan of margarine, then simply use the same weight in sunflower or corn oil.
ingredients
- 225g margarine
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 225g self raising flour
- 1tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
- 130g juicy raisins
- 200g grated carrot
- 2tsp mixed spice
- zest of 1 large orange
- zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
(for the orange cream cheese frosting)
- 40g softened butter
- 225g icing sugar, sifted
- 200g full fat cream cheese
- zest 1 orange
method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan, and grease and line with baking parchment 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.
- Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well until you have a consistent cake batter. Divide equally between the two tins and bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
- For the frosting place the softened butter and icing sugar into a bowl and use your hands to squeeze the sugar into the butter, this will take about 5 minutes. When you have damp crumbs add the cream cheese and orange zest to the bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth buttercream.
- To ice the cakes, place on cake on a stand top down. Smooth 1/3 of the buttercream over this, right to the edges, then top with the other cake (the right way around). Smear the remaining buttercream over the top and work down the sides. Work into the pattern of your choice.
