Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C Lightly grease a 23cm spring form cake tin and line with baking paper
• Beat the sugar, oil and eggs together in a large bowl
• Add the orange zest and juice from one orange, add the sultanas (if using) and add to the carrots
• Sift the flour and spices together and add to the carrot and orange mixture, combine gently and do not over mix
• Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 mins – 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean
• Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully turning out on to a wire cooling rack to cool
• To make the icing, for this cake I really like the creamy taste and texture of mascarpone, if using mascarpone I don’t use a mixer I mix it by hand
• Place the mascarpone, orange zest and icing sugar together and whip well with a spatula until lump free and combined
• Generously spread over the top of the cooled carrot cake
• If not eating it will keep covered in the fridge for 2 days