Recipe - Carrot Cake

-       4 eggs, lightly beaten

-       11/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar

-       ¾ cup vegetable oil

-       1/3 cup golden syrup

-       1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

-       1 cup self-raising (self-rising) flour

-       1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

-       1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-       2 1/2 cups firmly packed grated carrot

-       1/2 cup drained crushed canned pineapple

-       1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

-        

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C
2. Lightly grease a 23 cm (9 in) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is frothy.
4. Stir in the oil and golden syrup and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth
5.  Sift both flours, the bicarbonate of soda and the cinnamon into the egg mixture and mix until smooth.
6. Stir in the carrot, pineapple and pecans or walnuts.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the top.
8. Bake for 1-1/4 hours, or until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
9. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
10. Serve dusted with icing (confectioners') sugar. Alternatively, spread with cream chees e icing

Cream Cheese Icing

-       30 g butter

-       80g packaged cream cheese, softened

-       1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

-       1 tablespoon lemon juice

-       1 ½ cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Beat butter cream cheese, rind, juice in small bowl with electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.