This has A LOT of ingredients, but its an awesome cake.
Ingredients – cake
150ml olive oil
150ml grape seed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
300g dark brown sugar
3 carrots
100g sultanas
75g walnuts
50g pecans
50g pistachios plus extra for sprinkling on top
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g apricot jam
Ingredients – Frosting
180g unsalted butter
180g cream cheese, softened
350g icing sugar, sifted
zest of 1 lemon and a tsp of lemon juice
Prep work
- Peel and grate carrots
- Finely chop walnuts
- Coarsely chop sultanas
- Finely chop pecans
- Coarsely chop pistachios
- Grease a 23cm round cake pan, and line base and sides with baking paper
Making it
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees
- Combine oils and vanilla extract in a jug
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high until thick and pale. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a gradual stream
- Add carrots, sultanas and the nuts. Sift over flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, spices and a pinch of salt. Fold until all combined
- Spoon mixture into cake pan, bake for 45 mins. Cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until skewer in the centre comes out clean
- Cool completely in the pan
- Meanwhile, to make frosting, beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer until pale. Gradually add cream cheese and continue beating until fluffy. Reduce speed to low, gradually add icing sugar, then lemon zest and juice
- In a pan, place apricot jam and 2 teaspoons of water over low heat, and simmer, stirring until its like a syrup. Brush the glaze over the top and side of the cake and allow to cool.
- Spread the frosting on the cake and sprinkle with extra pistachios.
Enjoy!
