Among the first things I discovered when I moved to London was carrot cake. Somehow, I had never come across this massively delicious classic. I finally developed my own version – my perfect, never-fail carrot cake with a Moroccan twist. My friends can’t believe how simple it is to prepare and how good it tastes.
MAKES 1 X 20CM CAKE
SERVES 8
200g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp ras el hanout seasoning (bought or see the book for homemade)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
200g caster sugar
180ml sunflower oil, plus extra for oiling
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
150g freshly grated carrots
60g walnuts, chopped
FROSTING
150g full-fat cream cheese
100g icing sugar
70g unsalted butter, softened
❤ Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Oil a 20cm deep round cake tin, then line with baking paper.
❤ Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ras el hanout, cinammon and salt together in a large bowl. Place the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and eggs in a separate large bowl and stir together with a whisk or fork until well blended.
❤ Add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir just to combine – be careful not to overmix as this will make the cake too dense. Then add the grated carrots and walnuts and stir to combine.
❤ Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is golden brown, the cake feels spongy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dry.
❤ Meanwhile, make the frosting. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and use a hand-held electric whisk to slowly beat them together until smooth and fluffy. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
❤ Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer from the tin to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once your cake is completely cool, cover the top with the frosting and serve.
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