Carrot pecan cake with maple syrup and orange buttercream

60g pecan nuts, chopped
200g self raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
175g light muscovado sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
250g carrots, finely grated
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
50g unsweetened dessicated coconut (I omitted this as I don't like coconut)


80g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp maple syrup
150g unsalted cream cheese
Juice of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 160COil a 23cm diameter, 7.5cm deep, round tin and line the base with baking parchment.Scatter the pecans ? both for the cake and buttercream ? on to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, shaking once and watching carefully so they don?t burn. Measure out, separate and set aside the amounts needed for the cake and buttercream. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. In an electric mixer, slowly beat together the oil and sugar for a minute or so until smooth, then gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Using a large spoon, gently fold in the carrot, zest, pecans, coconut and finally the flour mixture.Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.Beat the icing sugar and maple syrup until really light and fluffy (approx 5 mins)In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth then fold it into the butter mixture.Finally, add the orange juice.Spread over the top of the cake and scatter with the pecan nuts.