Hey Darcy some cake for you baby.

Carrot cake with a citrus icing
This makes a large 3 layer cake but feel free to halve the recipe and make 2 x 20cm/8inch cakes. The layers freeze beautifully, but wrap them doubly in cling film to prevent ice crystals. The icing will keep well in the fridge for at least one week.

Serves 12-15 (UK portions)

Diet Facts: carrots and wholewheat flour may be healthy but sugar and cream cheese are not-but don't be a pussy, use plenty of both.
For the cake layers:

400g/ 2 1/2 plus 1/3 cups of wholemeal or wholewheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 Tbsp ground cinnamongood pinch of nutmeggood pinch cloves

350g/ 2 cups (tightly packed) dark brown sugar

4 large eggs300ml/10 fl oz sunflower oil (canola oil)

zest of 2 oranges

400g/ 14 oz peeled, grated carrot

225g/ 1 1/3 cup chopped dried (french) apricots (size of raisins)

100g/ 1 1/4 cup dessicated coconut

100g/ 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
For the syrup glaze:

juice 2 small oranges

1 tbsp lemon juice

55g/ 1/4 cup (tightly packed) dark brown soft sugar
For the icing:

3 x 225g/8oz packages of cream cheese

1 x 225g/8oz tub crème fraîche

5 Tbsp/ 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp runny honey

zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1 (about 1 Tbsp of juice)

zest of 1 small orange, juice of half (about 2 tbsp)
To decorate:

2 Tbsp dessicated coconut, lightly toasted (optional)

handful of chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

alternatively dust with ground cinnamon

You will need:

3 x 23cm/9 inch cake tins

An electric whisk (or even better an electric mixer)

A box grater or a grater attachment on your food processor

1/ Heat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.

Toast your nuts in the oven(Hee, hee) (about 5-8 minutes, until you can smell them roasting)

and then turn the heat down to 325F/170C/Gas 3 for the cake.

2/ Spray three 23 cm/ 9 inch cake tins with cooking spray with starch (such as Baker’s Joy). Make sure that the sugar has no hard lumps in it by squishing it between your fingers. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil for 2-3 minutes.

3/ Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Stir the gently into the sugar/egg/oil mixture and then add the remaining cake ingredients. Don’t be alarmed at the thickness of the batter. Divide the mixture evenly between the 3 tins and bake in the centre shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until nicely risen, firm and springy to touch and with visible signs of shrinking away from the sides of the tin.

4/ Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the juices and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. In fact you can put more sugar in if you are not a limey poofter who can't handle the sweetness. Once the cake has finished cooking, stab it all over with a skewer and gently spoon the syrup over the 3 cakes evenly. Allow to cool.

5/ Make the icing by beating together the cream cheese and crème fraîche until smooth. Fold in the honey, zest and juices with a large rubber spatula and check the taste. Add more honey or juices to your desired taste.

6/ To assemble the cake, turn the cakes out from their tins. Place one layer top-side down onto a cake stand. Spread the top evenly with 1/3 of the icing using a palette knife (offset spatula) or rubber spatula. Top with another layer, again top-side down and repeat until you have the final layer topped with the last of the icing. Scatter with the coconut and walnuts (if using) or dust with cinnamon.

From:londonfoodieny.wordpress.com/.../ A London Foodie in New York by Anna Helm