Clodagh says: "I love this carrot cake recipe so much, it’s the best I have ever tasted. It’s so light, due to no butter in the cake mix, and lightly peppered with warm spices and creamy walnuts. You can add the frosting if you wish, but it is also delicious without."

Makes 20 squares

INGREDIENTS: 

For the cake
5 eggs 
200ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing 
320g light brown sugar 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 
450g grated carrots, (grated weight) 
100g golden raisins 
150g walnuts, chopped (optional)
300g self-raising flour 
1tsp bicarbonate of soda 
 

For the orange frosting  
300g cream cheese, chilled 
70g butter, at room temperature 
300g icing sugar, sifted 
1 orange, zest only

METHOD: 

1.    Preheat the oven to 180oC (fan) and oil and line a traybake pan (33cm x 23cm). 
2.    Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, grated carrot, raisins and chopped walnuts. 
3.    Sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared traybake pan, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 
4.    Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about five minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving. 
5.    For the orange blossom frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until well combined. Add the icing sugar, and finely grated orange zest and mix until the frosting is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out.