Ginger and Walnut Carrot Cake from Nigella

This cake is a Nigella classic from her latest TV show, with a little update on the spice and topping from me.  You can vary the spice according to your taste (cardamon would be nice) but always use the ginger, and if you dont have time for caramel praline just top with chopped walnuts and ginger.

Ingredients

For the cake:

200g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicaronate of soda
2tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp fine salt
175g soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
200ml vegetable oil
200 g grated carrots (about 2 large ones)
100g walnut pieces roughly chopped
75 g crystallised ginger finely chopped

For the Icing:
100g unsalted butter
100g sifted icing sugar
1 tsp corflour
100g cream cheese
1 tblsp fresh grated ginger

To Decorate
25g walnut pieces
2 tblsp water
1/2 cup sugar
25g crystalised ginger

You will need: 1 x 20cm spring form-cake tin, oiled and lined with paper on the bottom

Method

CAKE:
 Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan and grease the sides and line the base of your springform cake tin with baking paper

 Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, ground ginger and salt into a bowl and fork well to mix thoroughly.

 Beat the sugar, eggs and oil in another large bowl until they are completely mixed together, then gradually add the flour mixture, scraping the bowl you’re beating them in to rescue and incorporate any flour clinging to the edges.

 At this stage the mixture may seem alarmingly stiff, but the carrots will loosen it up. So, beat in the carrots and then fold in the 100g of prepared walnuts and 75g of crystallised ginger, until everything is evenly combined.

Spoon and scrape into the prepared tin. Don’t worry if it looks as if you haven’t got nearly enough batter, as the cake will rise well as it bakes.

Smooth the top and pop in the oven (this is when to make the icing, see step 5) for 45–55 minutes. When it’s ready, the cake will be set and golden brown on top, beginning to shrink away from the edges of the tin and a cake tester will come out with just a few crumbs stuck to it. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool in its tin.

ICING

As soon as the cake’s in the oven, get on with the icing. Beat the butter and icing sugar together and when creamily combined, beat in the cornflour, followed by half the cream cheese. Once that’s
incorporated, beat in the remaining half. Be careful at all times not to over-beat or the icing will get too runny.

Starting with the grated ginger on a plate, get out a piece of kitchen roll and, moving quickly, spoon the grated ginger into the centre, bring up the edges of the paper, holding them together to form a little swag bag, and press on it over the bowl to squeeze out the intense ginger juice. Beat this into the frosting in its bowl. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.

TOPPING

Put some baking paper on a tray, place walnuts on this.   Make a dark caramel with the water and sugar, watching and swirling it always DO NOT LEAVE IT ON THE STOVE ALONE. Pour the caramel over the walnuts and leave aside to set.

When the cake is completely cold, take the icing out of the fridge for about 10 minutes, by which time it will have softened to a still thick but spreadable consistency. Beat briefly to help this along, and make sure it’s smooth. Unclip and release the cake from its tin, unmoulding it, and sit it on a cake stand or plate.

Put the walnut caramel into a food processor and process into small pieces, add the ginger and process again to make a praline.

Spread the frosting on top, swirling it a little, then sprinkle the praline walnuts and ginger on top.