Serves 8 - 10
100 g (4 oz) butter, softened
150 g (6 oz) sugar
1 egg
2.5 g (1/2 tsp) mixed spice
60 ml (4 tbsp) marmalade
30 ml (2 tbsp) orange juice
60 ml (4 tbsp) strong black coffee
225 g (8 oz) carrots, grated
50 g (2 oz) walnuts
225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
for the Topping
100 g (4 oz) soft cream cheese
50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
75 g (3 oz) icing sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
juice of 1/2 lemon
1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, mixed spice, marmalade, orange rind, juice and coffee. Mix well.
3. Toss the carrots and walnuts in the flour and gradually stir them into the beaten mixture.
4. Turn into a lined and greased 20cm/8in cake tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
5. Cool the cake in the pan for one hour. Remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.
6. Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Slowly sift in the icing sugar and continue beating until the mixture is quite smooth.
7. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
8. Spread two thirds of the mixture on top of the carrot cake.
9. Put the remainder in a piping bag and pipe rosettes around the cake.
