Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard creates his luxury carrot cake recipe packed with nuts, spices and golden sultanas on Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

350g light muscovado sugar
400ml groundnut oil (or vegetable oil can be used as an alternative)
5 eggs
400g carrots, grated
200g roasted walnut halves, roughly chopped
200g golden sultanas
400g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg

For the frosting
250g unsalted butter
100g cream cheese
600g golden icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the topping
Handful of golden sultanas
Handful of walnuts

METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas mark 2. Grease 2 regular 25cm x 11cm (loaf tins with butter and line with baking paper.
2 Add the sugar and oil to a mixer with the eggs and whisk until combined. Mix the carrots into the mixture with the walnuts and golden sultanas.
3 In a separate bowl sieve the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold the flour into the egg mixture until fully combined.
4 Pour the mixture into the loaf tins and bake for 40-45 minutes. Halfway through cooking, use a sharp knife to cut lengthways along the top of the loaf to create a dome like effect. Once cooked, remove from tins and allow to cool on a wire rack.
5 For the frosting, place the butter and cream cheese in the mixer. Add in the icing sugar, mixing it in by hand first to avoid mess. Add in the vanilla extract and mix. Decant the frosting into a bowl and pop in the fridge to firm up.
6 When firm take a palette knife and, holding the loaf in your hands, spread the frosting on starting around the sides and then piling it high on top. Smooth over the frosting for an even finish. For the final touch, sprinkle golden sultanas and walnuts on the top and dust with icing sugar.

COOK’S NOTES If you want you can use other exotic coloured carrots from the market for a bit of variety.

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