'Packed with goodness' carrot cake with an epic lemon butter frosting

We all love a decent slice of homemade carrot cake and often, we should never stray far from a perfect, classic recipe – however, this one is simply magnificent with a cuppa and must be tried.

The clever addition of a sweet, ripe banana mashed into your batter transforms the finished sponge into moist and melt-in-the-mouth bites which combine beautifully with the crunch of classic chopped walnuts and gooey, sticky sultanas.

The star of the show is that buttercream though – by adding fresh lemon juice you’ll create a citrus zest that elevates your cake to the next level. Optional, but a highly recommended add, it’s also a delight to play about with other citrus flavours like lime, clementine, or our favourite at this time of the year – seasonal blood oranges. Sweet, rich and tangy!

Now, stick that kettle on and whip out that whisk – all ready in just three simple steps!

Carrot cake with mascarpone & lemon frosting

Fluffy, fresh and spicy – this carrot cake brings a flavoursome fiery kick

Serves 8

Ingredients

150g packed light brown soft sugar 1 egg 170ml corn oil 140g wholemeal flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp salt 1 ripe banana, mashed 50g chopped walnuts 30g sultanas 125g grated carrots

For the mascarpone topping

100g mascarpone 40g icing sugar 10g salted butter, softened A squeeze of lemon juice (optional) Grated lemon zest, to garnish 500g/1lb. loaf pan lined with a paper loaf-pan liner

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/170°C/325°F/gas 3. Put the sugar, egg and corn oil in a large bowl and lightly beat together. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to a smooth mixture. Add the mashed banana, walnuts and sultanas, followed by the carrot, and stir together.

2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the topping, put the mascarpone, icing sugar and butter into a bowl and whisk until light and creamy. If desired, add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to bring a bit of zing to the frosting. Spread the topping over the cake and garnish with lemon zest. Cut into slices to serve.