EASY CARROT CAKE WITH PECANS

SERVES 12 PREP 15 MINS COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS

• 2 cups self-raising flour

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 cups grated carrot

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped, plus extra to decorate

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten ICING

• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature

• 50g butter, at room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.

Grease and line a 20cm square baking pan with baking paper.

2 Sift flour, mixed spice and cinnamon in a bowl. Add carrot, sugar, pecans, oil and eggs. Stir to combine. Spoon into pan and smooth surface.

3 Bake 1 hour 15 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 ICING In a bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla together. Gradually beat in icing sugar until spreadable consistency. Decorate cake with icing and scatter with extra pecans to serve.