RECIPE: Carrot, Orange and Pecan Cake

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Hi hi!
So last weekend my mum asked if I could bake something for her to take to her tennis team for their post-match tea as she didn't have time to make anything herself. And I'll tell ya, I don't need much persuasion when it comes to baking!
So for some reason I thought 'Hey, I feel like making carrot cake.' And that I did, my friends.
The flavour combo in this traybake is so yummy, and the textures are pretty great too - really moist sponge, crunchy pecans and creamy frosting. 

INGREDIENTS:
For the cake:

  • 300g soft light brown sugar
  • 250ml sunflower oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • a pinch of salt
  • 250g grated carrot (about 3 large carrots)
  • 100g chopped pecan nuts
  • the zest of half an orange
For the orange syrup:
  • the juice of half an orange
  • 20g caster sugar
For the frosting: 
  • 400g full-fat cream cheese (2 tubs of Philadelphia)
  • 100g icing sugar 
  • the zest and juice of half an orange
To decorate:
  • pecan halves

METHOD:
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 20cm by 25cm (roughly) baking tin.
  2. Mix together the sugar and oil using a handheld electric whisk.
  3. Add the eggs and mix again.
  4. Fold in the flour, mixed spice and salt.
  5. Add the grated carrot, chopped pecans and orange zest and mix it all up!
  6. Transfer to the lined tin and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes (when a skewer/knitting needle/cocktail stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, it's done).
  7. Then make the orange syrup: put the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
  8. Brush the warm syrup over the warm cake and leave to cool completely.
  9. To make the frosting: beat all of the ingredients together until smooth. If it's a bit runny, place in the fridge while you wait for the cake to cool.
  10. Once the cake is cool, spread the frosting on the top and decorate with the pecan halves.
  11. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
     P.S Sorry about the photos, this was a late-night bake so the lighting wasn't great!
((Slightly) adapted from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2145884/Recipe-Carrot-cake-traybake.html) 

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