Sunshine carrot cake

SERVES 16 PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ COOLING)

1 ½ cups (150g) walnuts

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1 ¹⁄³ cups (200g) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 ½ cups (330g) raw caster sugar

4 eggs, beaten lightly

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

200ml extra virgin olive oil

4 large (750g) carrots, peeled, coarsely grated

440g can crushed pineapple, well drained

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING

200g butter, chopped

200g cream cheese, at room temperature

2 ¼ cups (360g) icing sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon orange rind, finely grated

1 Preheat oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan. Grease and line base and sides of a 28cm round cake pan.

2 Spread walnuts on an oven tray. Bake for 7 minutes or until fragrant and browned lightly. Coarsely chop walnuts.

3 Sift flours, baking soda and spices into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, carrot, pineapple and walnuts. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

4 Bake for 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 30 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5 To make brown butter frosting, place butter in a medium frying pan over low to medium heat and stir until it melts. Continue cooking as butter begins to foam and sizzle around the edges (about 5-6 minutes). Stir frequently until milk solids turn golden brown and butter smells nutty. Take care as it will continue to brown after you remove it from the heat. Scrape melted butter and browned bits into a shallow bowl. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until butter is solidified but soft enough to be beaten with an electric mixer.

6 Beat brown butter and cream cheese until smooth and combined. Gradually add sifted icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange rind.

7 Spread cake with frosting. Decorate with extra finely grated orange rind, if desired.