Carrot muffins

Okay, I know I always say this but this recipe really has just become my favourite cake. The ingredients are pretty basic and it's a great way to use up old carrots that are at death's door. The recipe here makes around 24 medium cupcakes, (brilliant for parties or school fairs), but it can just as easily be baked in two 20cm round baking tins to make one large cake. To achieve the classic carrot cake taste I've put cream cheese in the icing but if you're in a hurry or prefer it without then a basic buttercream (see my cupcake bouquet post) works just as well!

Ingredients

4 large eggs (at room temperature)

175 ml sunflower oil

115g light brown muscovado sugar

115g dark brown muscovado sugar

225g plain flour

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

400g grated carrots (6-7 medium)

75g walnut pieces

50g desiccated coconut

100g raisins (optional)

zest of one orange (finely grated)

For the icing

135g unsalted butter

200g full fat cream cheese

115g icing sugar

orange zest for decoration

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. To make the cake - put the eggs, olive oil and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 5 minutes until frothy.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices then add the carrots, walnuts, coconut, raisins and orange zest.

4. Spoon the mix into cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

5. To make the icing - cream the butter and cream cheese then add the icing sugar.

6. Once the cakes have completely cooled, spoon on a bot of icing and top with some orange zest.