Carrot cake is one of these recipes from the 60’s and 70’s that get a bad rep sometimes. Some people love it, some people hate it. Like a lots of dessert for that period some people really butcher it! There is nothing worse that overcooked, dry, carrot cake! So it is important to watch the cupcake in the oven. This recipes gives a moist, rich, spicy cupcake. Personally I do not like the traditionally cheese cream topping. I find it can over power the carrot cake so I have gone for a vanilla butter cream instead.

 Ingredients- 10 large cupcakes Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 175g/6.1 oz brown muscovado sugar
• 100g/3.5 oz wholemeal spelt self-raising flour
• 100g/3.5 oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• zest 1 orange
• 2 eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 200g/ 7.1 oz carrots, grated

My tip if you only have plain flour if the following

• 1 cup/140 grams) flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Buttercream icing

• 140g/5 oz butter softened
• 280g/ 10 oz icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.Peel and grate the carrots.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, flours, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and orange zest.
3. Whisk together the eggs and oil.
4. Then stir into the dry ingredients with the grated carrot. Divide the mixture between cases and bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
5. Cool on a wire rack.Beat the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla until well combined.Pipe onto the cool muffins. Serve and Enjoy!