Carrots for carrot cake

Ingredients

• 200 g/ 7 ounces fresh carrots, peeled and coarsely grated-about 2 large carrots
• 200 g/ 7 ounces self-raising flour
• 170 g / 6 ounces soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150 ml / 5 ounces canola oil
• 1 teaspoon . baking soda
• 1 teaspoon . grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 ½ teaspoon . ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon . ground nutmeg

Icing:

• 150 g / 2/3 cups cream cheese or thickened cream
• 2 tablespoons . icing sugar/ confectioner's sugar
• Glazed carrots for decoration: 6 baby carrots
• Water to cover
• ¼ teaspoon . salt
• 2 tablespoons . sugar
• 2 tablespoons . butter

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Preparation

• Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F. Grease a medium deep cake pan and set aside. In a medium bowl mix the sugar, eggs, and oil for about 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Stir together using a spatula and making slow encircling movements until flour is incorporated-- not living any lumps of flour.
• Add grated carrots and lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until it feels firm and toothpick comes out clean.
• When ready remove from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the Icing: make ingredients together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
• Glazed Carrots: Cut the green carrot stalks to 2 cm, wash and dry baby carrots with a paper towel. Place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Add salt, butter and sugar, bring to boil and cook for 8 minutes. The water should evaporate and a glaze should be in the bottom of the pan. Remove carrots from the pan and let them cool.
• Set the cake on a serving plate, take the icing from the fridge and using a palette knife spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake and decorate with glazed baby carrots.