CARROT CAKE

source : martha day - complete baking
serve 10

CARROT CAKE
300g caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) vegetable oil
3 eggs
about 225g carrots, finely grated
225g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
optional: 1 tbs poppy seeds and 1/2 cup chopped roughly walnuts/almonds

For the icing:
225 icing sugar
225g cream cheese, at room temperature
55g butter/margarine, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla essence
175 g chopped walnuts/almonds
optional : if it hard to find cream cheese, and hassle free,
you can substitute the above icing with ready made tub icing

1. preheat a 190c/Gas 5 oven
2. butter and flour 2 x 9in round cake tins
3. in a mixing bowl, combine tha caster sugar, veg oil, eggs and carrots. Beat for 2 minutes
4. sift the dry ingedients into another bowl. Add in 4 equal batches to the carrot mixture, mixture well after each addition (add also the poppy seeds and chopped walnuts)
5. divide the cake mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, 35-45 minutes
6. let cool in the tins on wire racks for 10 minutes, then unmould the cakes from the tins onto the wire racks and let cool completely
7. for the icing, combine everything but the nuts in a bowl and beat until smooth
8. to assemble, set 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread with 1/3 of the icing. Place the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining icing all over the top and sides of the cake, swirling it to make a decorative finish. Sprinkle the nuts around to top edge

note: to Azian - this cake is very easy to do, good luck