Carrot cake with lemon cream-cheese icing

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees or equivalent. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich cake tins with baking parchment. Soak the sultanas.

2. To make the carrot cake: i0n a mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in the oil until the mixture is thick and pale.

3. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, bread soda, salt and spices. Fold the sieved ingredients into the wet mixture.

4. Drain the sultanas (discard the liquid and pat them dry with kitchen paper). Add the carrots, sultanas, chopped pecans (or walnuts) into the batter and stir until well combined.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the lined sandwich tins and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of each sponge comes out clean.

6. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool fully.

7. To make the cream-cheese icing, beat the butter until pale and creamy. Next beat in the cream cheese to a lump-free consistency (but avoid over-whipping the cream cheese). Add the sieved icing sugar gradually. Lastly incorporate the lemon zest (adjust amount of lemon to your taste). Refrigerate the icing for 20 minutes.

8. Ensure the sponges are cool before icing them. Peel away the paper lining from each sponge. Use a spatula to spread half the icing on a layer of sponge. Spread remaining icing on the second layer and place it on top.  Return the cake to the fridge for one hour. Serve chilled.

Variation: Not all kids like nuts and sultanas. You can leave them out and make carrot cake muffins instead.