Serves 10 or more

4 eggs, lightly beaten
250g (2 cups) sugar
185 ml (¾ cup) sunflower or light olive oil
300g ((2 ½ cups) cake flour or other such as teff
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
400g (14 oz) carrots, peeled & coarsley grated
55g (½ cup) roughly chopped walnuts
ICING:
180g (6 oz) butter, softened
250g (2 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar
180g (6 oz)cream cheese (I use Philadelphia original)
3 drops vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Grease and flour a 24 cm (9 ½ inch) springform cake tin.

Whip together the eggs & sugar until creamy, then whisk in the oil. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

Add the carrots and walnuts and whisk through quickly with the electric beaters to make sure it is all properly combined.

Scrape out the batter into the tin. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake should have risen up well. Cool before removing the ring and putting the cake onto a plate.

When the cake is completely cool make the icing. Whip together the butter and icing sugar, mashing it together at first if necessary with a wooden spoon and then whisking until it is stiff. Quickly beat in the cream cheese and vanilla to combine.

Spread lusciously over the top and sides of the cooled cake with a spatula (you don’t need to spread it too smoothly – it looks lovely in peaks).

Cut into chunky slices to serve. Enjoy! In summer keep in the fridge.