Carrot cake

175g light brown sugar
175ml vegetable oil

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
140g grated carrot (about 3 medium)
100g raisins
grated zest of 1 large orange
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

For the topping 

100g icing sugar
1 tbsp orange juice

1. 1)Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. 
   2)Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and grated orange peel. 
   3)Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients – when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
   4)Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. 
   5) beat together the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth – about as runny as single cream. I add small amounts of juice at a time to get the right consistency. 
   6)Pop the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.