Easter Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS: 

• 350g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking soda (level)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 400g brown sugar
• 280ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g grated carrots (skin on is fine)
• 100g grated pear (squeezed to remove excess liquid)
• 80g chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 160°C and lining two 23.5cm round baking tins with baking paper.
2. Grate your carrots (no need to peel!) and your pear. Give the grated pear a good squeeze to get rid of any excess moisture.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until well combined. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking, then stir through the vanilla essence.
5. Now fold the grated carrot, pear, and chopped walnuts into the wet mixture. Tip in the dry ingredients and gently mix until everything’s just combined – don’t overdo it.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and pop them into the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Once baked, let the cakes cool in their tins for around 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE ICING

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the vanilla and give it another quick mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and keep beating until the icing is light and fluffy. Stir in a little squeeze of lemon juice for that zingy balance.

TO ASSEMBLE

Place one of the cakes on your serving plate and spread half the icing on top. Gently add the second cake and cover the top with the rest of the icing.

Now for the fun part – get creative with your garnishes! Think baby carrots, dehydrated fruit, pumpkin seeds, walnuts or pecans, and of course, a few cheeky mini Easter eggs.