Carrot Cake

Serves: 8 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour  Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Oven Temperature: 180° c  -  360° f Ingredients 180 g self raising flour 350 g caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3 eggs 220 g grated raw carrot ¼ tsp salt 300 ml sunflower oil for the frosting: 180 g cream cheese 180 g melted butter 220 g icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla essence Method 1. Preheat the oven 2. Sieve together 175g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder,  1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. 3. Put 300ml oil in a large bowl and beat with 350g the sugar.  Beat in 3 eggs one at a time, then fold in the dry ingredients  and stir in 225g grated carrot. 4. Place the mixture in the tin, level off the top, and bake for 45 mins.  Then turn the oven down to 170C/325F/gas 3 for a further 20 mins.  When it's done, take the cake out of the oven and cool in the tin for 5 mins.  Then remove from the tin to cool on a wire rack. 5. While the cake is cooling, beat together the 175g cream cheese and 175g butter  and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence.  Gradually add 225g sieved icing sugar until the mixture is stiff but spreadable. 6. When the cake is cool, split it in half horizontally and use the icing  to sandwich it back together and cover the top.