A quick and good dessert cake for a family supper.

Ingredients: (Serves 12)

• 450 g/1 lb carrots, peeled
• 175 g/6 oz/1½ cups plain flour
• 10 ml/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2.5 ml/½ teaspoon baking soda
• 5 ml/1 teaspoon salt
• 10 ml/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 10 ml/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 90 g/3½ oz/½ cup granulated sugar
• 300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups sunflower oil
• 115 g/4 oz/1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 65 g/2½ oz/½ cup raisins
• Walnut halves, for decorating (optional)

For the frosting:

• 75 g/3 oz/6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 375 g/12 oz/3 cups icing sugar
• 50 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup maple syrup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Line a 28 x 20 cm/11 x 8 inch rectangle cake tin with non-stick baking paper and grease. Grate the carrots and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a bowl. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until blended. Add the vanilla, sugar and oil and beat well to incorporate. Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins to the mixture, and fold in thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake until the cake springs back when touched slightly, 40-45 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes, then un-mould and transfer to a rack.

For the frosting, cream the butter with half the sugar until soft. Add the syrup, then beat in the remaining sugar until blended.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Using a metal spatula make decorative ridges in the frosting. Cut into squares. Decorate with walnut halves.