-FOR THE CAKE-
125 g Unsalted butter; (4oz)
150 g Light muscavado sugar; (5oz)
2 md Sized eggs
150 g Self raising flour; (5oz)
2 ts Ground cinnamon
1 ts Ground ginger
50 g Dried apricots; roughly
-chopped
; (2oz)
50 g Chopped hazelnuts; (2oz)
125 g Finely grated carrot; (4oz)
50 ml Milk; (2 floz)
———————FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING———————
200 g Soft cream cheese; (7oz)
75 g Icing sugar; (3oz)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
FOR DECORATION
250 ml Vegetable oil; ( 1/4 pint)
1 Carrot; peeled into thin
; strips with a
; potato peeler
30 g Toasted hazelnuts; roughly
-chopped
; (1oz)
1 Lemon; cut into thin
; strips (julienne) ,
; zest of
125 g Sugar; (4oz)
125 g Caster sugar; (4oz)
Preheat the oven to 190 C, 375 F, Gas Mark 5. Have ready two 18cm (7
inch) non-stick sandwich tins.
Cream the butter and muscavado sugar in a bowl until light in colour.
Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the flour and spices.
Stir in the fruit, nuts, carrot and milk. Divide the mixture between
the cake tins.
Bake on the middle oven shelf in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the filling; cream the cheese and sugar in a bowl by hand,
taking care not overmix. Add the lemon.
Heat the oil in a saucepan to 175 C and fry the carrot strips until
crispy, drain on absorbent kitchen paper and sprinkle with caster
sugar.
Place the julienned lemon zest into a pan of water and bring to the
boil. Strain the lemon and refresh under cold water. Repeat this
process, then return the lemon to the pan and cover with 75ml (3fl
oz) of water and add 3oz sugar and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes
until the zest is soft, remove from the sticky syrup and roll in
caster sugar.
Sandwich the sponges together with half of the cheese mix. Spread the
remaining half on top and sprinkle the crispy carrot, sugared zest and
toasted nuts over the cake.
Yields
10 servings