Rüblikuchen (Carrot cake)

Carrot cakes can be served on all occasions as dessert or just to celebrate a great event like a birthday! 

Ingredients

175g light muscovado sugar
175ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
140g grated carrots (about 3 medium)
100g raisins
grated zest of 1 large orange
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C.
Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.

                                                                         

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin

Bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre.

 Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.
Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth - you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.