Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), 250 g
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable or canola oil, 300 ml
• 1 cup light brown sugar, 200 g, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 g
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups carrots, about 1 lb (450 g) whole, finely grated (300 g)
• ¾ cup walnuts, 85 g, chopped and toasted, divided

For the cream cheese frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter, 113 g, softened
• 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, 225 g, cool but softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar), 360 g, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or 160°C (320°F) fan, gas mark 4). Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the carrots and half the walnuts.
5. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1½ hours.

Make the frosting

7. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed just until smooth, about 30 seconds.
8. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on low, then on medium for 1 minute, until fluffy.
9. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts. Cut into squares to serve.