This juicy and satisfying cake is made with carrot puree rather than grated carrot – and carrot puree gives the gorgeous golden hue to the spectacular three-ingredient frosting.

Ingredients
Cake

• 420g carrots, cooked until tender, and allowed to cool (note: 240g of this is for the cake, 180g is for the frosting)

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp dry ginger

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower or rice bran)

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tsp grated orange rind

• 3 tsp baking soda

• 3/4 cup crushed pineapple

• 2T liquid of your choice, e.g. juice from pineapple 

Frosting

• 180g cooked carrot, as above

• 240g Angel Food Cream Cheese Alternative

• ⅓ cup icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 23cm cake tin.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried ginger, sugar and baking soda.

3. In a food processor, blend 240g cooked carrot, vegetable oil and 2T liquid.

4. Stir the blended carrot into the dry ingredients gently, then add in the walnuts, orange rind and pineapple.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for approx 45 minutes. Test for done-ness by putting a metal skewer or sharp knife into the centre of the cake.

6. When baked, take out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

7. While the cake is baking, make the frosting: simply blend together in a food processor 180g cooked carrot, cream cheese and icing sugar. The mix will blend more easily if the carrot is still warm from cooking.

8. Once frosting is blended, move it to the fridge – it will be easier to spread once it has cooled and thickened.

9. When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting over the top generously. Decorate as you wish – we used rose petals from the garden and chopped pistachios, but chopped walnuts and crystallised ginger is good too.