Cheesecakes Recipes - Carrot Cake with Geranium Cheese

Ingredients

• 115g self raising flour

• 5ml bicarbonate of soda

• 2.5ml ground cinnamon

• 2.5ml ground cloves

• 200g soft brown sugar

• 225g grated carrot

• 150g sultanas

• 150g finely chopped reserved stem ginger

• 150 pecan nuts

• 150ml sunflower oil

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the topping

• 2-3 lemon-scented

• geranium leaves

• 225g icing sugar

• 60g cream cheese

• 30g softened butter

• 5ml grated lemon rind

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Method:

1. For the topping, put the geranium leaves, tom into small pieces, in a small bowl and mix with the icing sugar. Leave in a warm place overnight for the sugar to take up the scent.

2. For the cake, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices together. Add the sugar, carrots, sultanas, ginger and pecan nuts. Stir well, then add the oil and beaten eggs. Mix with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180'C/3S0"F/Gas 4. Then grease a 23 x 12cm/9 x 5in loaf tin, line the base with greaseproof paper, and grease the paper. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, leave to stand for a few minutes, and then cool on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese topping. Remove the pieces of geranium leaf from the icing sugar and discard. Place the cream cheese, butter and lemon rind in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, gradually add the icing sugar, beating well until smooth. Spread over the top of the cooled cake.