Carrot cake with orange cream cheese frosting

One of my favourite cakes of all time would have to be a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  It brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of a family holiday when I ate a piece of this cake on the ferry from Sydney to Manly. I was back on this ferry again earlier this year but unfortunately they didn't sell any carrot cake so I have to make my own instead :)

CARROT CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 185g butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups grated carrot
• ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
• ¾ cup plain flour (sifted)
• ¾ cup self raising flour (sifted)
• 1 ½ tsp mixed spice

Frosting

• 90g cream cheese, softened
• 45g butter
• 1 ½ tsp finely grated orange rind
• 2 cups icing sugar (sifted)

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease a ring cake tin.

Step 2 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter & sugar in a small bowl until light & fluffy.

Step 3 - Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Step 4 - Transfer to a large bowl & stir in carrot & walnuts.

Step 5 - Sift flours & mixed spice into the mixture.  Stir well to combine.

Step 6 - Pour into ring tin & bake in preheated oven for 1 hr.  Remove from oven, leave in tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7 - With an electric mixer, beat butter & cream cheese until soft. Add orange rind & sifted icing sugar.  Beat until light & fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.