frosted carrot cake

Makes 9 squares

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

125 ml (4 fl oz) sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling

125 g (4 oz) light muscovado sugar

2 eggs

125 g (4 oz) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

125 g (4 oz) carrots, coarsely grated

25 g (1 oz) sultanas

Cream cheese frosting

100 g (3½ oz) full-fat cream cheese

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

75 g (3 oz) icing sugar

Oil an 18 cm (7 inch) square cake tin and line with greaseproof paper. Oil the paper.

Whisk together the oil and muscovado sugar to combine, then whisk in the eggs. Sift the flour and mixed spice into the bowl and stir in. Add the carrots and sultanas, and mix well. Pour the mixture into the tin and level the top. Place on the lower rack of the halogen oven.

Set the temperature to 175°C (347°F) and cook for about 30 minutes until just firm to the touch. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar to make the frosting. Spread over the cooled cake with a palette knife. Serve cut into squares.

For walnut & apple slice, peel and core 2 small apples and coarsely grate the flesh. Pat dry between several sheets of kitchen paper. Roughly chop 75 g (3 oz) walnuts. Make the cake as above, using the apples and walnuts instead of the carrots and sultanas, and adding ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the mixture. Bake as above and serve warm with crème fraîche, or leave to cool and spread with cream cheese frosting as above.