Ingredients

275g

organic caster sugar

225ml

organic sunflower oil

1 1/2 tsp

Steenbergs baking powder

1/2 tsp

Steenbergs organic Fairtrade ground cloves

225g

carrots, finely grated

75g

cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese

3 tbsp

organic caster sugar

free-range eggs

175g

organic plain flour

1 1/2 tsp

organic Fairtrade ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp

Steenbergs Organic natural sea salt

100g

chopped organic walnuts

40g

unsalted butter

A dairy free carrot cake option if you don't add the topping

Method

Grease a 10cm cake tin with a pastry (or paint) brush; turn the baking tray upside down after greasing to allow any excess oil to drain away. Line with baking paper. Heat oven to 175°C.
Sieve together the organic plain flour, baking powder, organic Fairtrade spices and salt into mixing bowl. Put organic Fairtrade sugar in a large bowl and stir in oil with a wooden spoon. Beat in the free-range eggs, 1 at a time. Continue to beat, adding in the organic flour mixture as spoonful at a time. Now stir in the organic walnuts and carrots - keep back about 1 tbsp of carrots for decoration).
Spoon the mixture into a cake tin and bake for 70 - 80 minutes, or until top springs back when pressed lightly. Cool on a rack before cutting.
For the frosting: use a blender and beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add butter a little at a time, beating it into the cream cheese until fully blended. Then add sugar and beat again until smooth. When cake is cold, smooth this frosting over the top with a knife dipped in hot water. Dot some carrots on the cake as decoration.