Julia Busuttil shares one of her favourite recipes.

The author of the cookbook Ostro says her delicious Spiced Carrot Cake recipe is a twist on the version her mother baked with her when she was growing up.

The Spiced Carrot Cake is the perfect sweet treat to bake your mum this coming Mother’s Day. The Spiced Carrot Cake is a deliciously moist cake with zesty lime topping and drizzled with pistachios and coconut flakes.

Serves: 8-12

Cooking time: 30 minutes prep; 50-60 minutes cooking time

INGREDIENTS:

375g carrots (approximately 4), peeled and trimmed

150g brown sugar

150g caster sugar

4 large eggs

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1tsp vanilla bean extract

250ml olive oil (light or extra virgin olive oil)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom, freshly ground

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, freshly ground

1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

350g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

100g pistachios (or walnuts), roughly chopped

Lime cream cheese frosting:

200g pure icing sugar

100g unsalted butter, softened

250g cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tsp lime juice

Finely grated zest of a lime

Pinch of ground cinnamon

To garnish:

Coconut chips and flakes, to top

Slivered pistachios, to top

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 25cm round cake tin.

1. Use the 4mm medium shredding blade with the slicer/shredder attachment on the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer to shred the carrots into a bowl. Set aside.

1. Beat the sugars and eggs using the flat beater on speed 8 until light and pale (4 minutes). Reduce to speed 6, add in the vanilla and stream in the olive oil and continue to beat until well combined (2 minutes). Add in the spices and mix on speed 2, just to combine.

1. Using the sifter and scale attachment, add in the flour and baking powder. Gently fold through the shredded carrots and pistachios being careful not to over mix. Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven for around 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.

1. Allow to cool briefly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

1. For the frosting, use the sifter and scale attachment to add the icing sugar into the bowl with the whisk. Add the butter and whisk together on speed 4 initially, then once combined whisking on speed 8 until pale and fluffy (around 3 minutes). Add the cream cheese, beating until well incorporated and voluminous. Fold through the lime zest and ground cinnamon.

1. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle generously with coconut and pistachios.

1. Unfrosted cake can be left at room temperature in an airtight container however once frosted, it should be stored in the fridge and brought back to room temperature before serving.