Carrot Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C /350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a square baking form (12x12 inches) and dust it with flour.

2. Put the grated carrots into a bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and stir.

3. Cut the margarine into small pieces and put it into a bowl. Add the sugar and beat with an electric whisk or by hand until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one by one to the mixture. Proceed with adding the orange juice, the orange zest, and brandy and keep mixing on low speed.

5. In a separate bowl mix the flour with the baking powder & the cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Keep mixing until all ingredients are well blended.

6. Add the carrots, the walnuts and the sultanas. Stir with a spatula to mix all ingredients. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin.

7. Bake for approximately 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean (this means the cake is cooked). Once cooked remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the glaze:

1. Put the orange juice in a bowl and slowly add the powdered sugar. Stir constantly with a whisk until you get the right consistency. Drizzle the cold cake with glaze.

2. If you like, you can decorate with carrots made of marzipan or fondant.

You can make the carrot cake without the nuts or sultanas and it will still be delicious. This recipe is really versatile and can also be made into a loaf cake, cupcakes or a traybake.

Recipe courtesy of Stork