Carrot Cake (Rabbit Cake)

Personally I get most excited by carrots in the context of cake. Carrot Cake (or 'Rabbit Cake' as it gets called around here), is a wonderful thing, and has the added benefit of sounding like something that ought be quite good for you (Spoiler alert: It isn't).
Here's my best carrot cake recipe - Sometimes they can be a bit dense, but this version is a light, moist sponge with icing that isn't over-poweringly sweet. And if you happen to have any helpful little carrot-fans in the house, peeling and grating is a really good way of getting them involved with this recipe.
Joy's 'Rabbit Cake' Recipe
Takes: About 2 hours - but for most of that time the cake will be baking or cooling. so there's less than 30 minutes of actual 'work' going on.
Makes: A 2-layer cake which generously serves 14-16. You could alternatively bake this mixture as 24 muffins.
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days (must be refrigerated because of the icing). The cake part freezes beautifully without the icing, but I'm afraid the icing doesn't freeze well at all!
Ingredients:
280g sunflower or rapeseed or coconut oil
400g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
300g self raising flour
350g raw carrot - peeled and grated (about 3-4 medium carrots)
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
For the Icing:
350 grams full fat cream cheese
200 grams icing sugar
150 grams double cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To decorate: tasted seeds/granola/Orange zest/ mixed spice (all optional)
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or equivalent.
- Prepare two 9-inch/20cm round cake tins by lightly greasing with oil and lining the bottoms with baking paper.
- Peel and grate your carrots. Weigh out 350 grams and leave it aside.
- Measure the oil, vanilla, eggs, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat well with a spoon or electric mixer until it is lighter in colour and a smooth, runny consistency.
- Add the flour, grated carrot and mixed spice and mix them in well.
- Divide the mixture equally between the tins and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are firm to the touch and feel springy. Note: if you’re making muffins, this will make 24, and they’ll need 15-18 minutes in the oven.
- Leave the cakes to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before icing them. You can even make the cakes the day before icing/serving them to ensure they are properly cool.
- While the cakes are baking, make the icing (this can also be made in advance and stored, well covered, in the fridge).
- To make the icing simply beat all the ingredients together with an electric mixer or in a food processor until it forms a thick, smooth, spreadable icing. Alternatively use a balloon whisk and give yourself a little work-out! Stir in some orange zest at the end if you wish.
- When the cakes are cool, place one on a serving plate and spread 1/2 of the icing over it. Carefully place the second cake on top and cover it with the rest of the icing. Finally scatter with granola, mixed spice and/or orange zest to decorate. Note: if you prefer a fully covered cake, use less between the layers so that you have enough to cover the sides as well as the top of the cake.