Kūmara and Carrot Cake

I love the earthy notes the kūmara brings to this twist on a classic carrot cake – absolutely perfect with a good strong cuppa or an afternoon coffee.

CAKE 2½ cups plain flour 1 cup caster sugar

⅔ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder

1 teaspoon each ground mixed spice, ground cinnamon and ground ginger

½ teaspoon sea salt ½ packed cup grated carrot

½ packed cup grated orange kūmara

1¼ cups rice bran or other neutral vegetable oil

4 large eggs, size 7 finely grated zest 1 orange

227-gram tin crushed pineapple, well-drained in a sieve

½ cup sultanas ½ cup sunflower seeds ICING 250 grams cream cheese, at room temperature

25 grams butter, at room temperature

finely grated zest 1 orange 3 cups icing sugar

EQUIPMENT: Grease a 26cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160°C regular bake.

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and stir to combine. Put the carrot, kūmara, eggs, oil and zest in a food processor and pulse quickly to combine. Fold into the dry ingredients, along with the pineapple, sultanas, and sunflower seeds.

Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn the oven off but leave the cake in for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and ice once cooled.

ICING: Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until well combined. (It makes a lot, so freeze any leftovers.) MAKES 1 CAKE