Passion Cake

5 oz butter
7 oz soft brown sugar
8 oz finely grated carrots
2 eggs
7 oz self raising flour
3 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz seedless raisins
2 oz chopped walnuts (optional)
3 tbsp milk

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese (full fat)
4 tsp lemon juice
 1 1/2 oz icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
walnut halves to decorate (optional)

Method

Grease 8" round tin and line base
Pre heat oven to 180C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Melt the butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water and beat in the soft brown sugar, grated carrots and eggs.  Seive together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold evenly into the mixture with the raisins (walnuts if using) and milk.

Turn mixture into the prepared tin and level.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about an hour.
Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn onto a wire rack.
When cold cut into two layers.

Beat the cream cheese with the lemon juice, seived icing sugar and vanilla essence.
Sandwich the two layers with half the frosting and spread the rest on top.
Decorate with the walnut halves if liked.

If your oven tends not to cook things well to the centre, then split the mixture into two prepared 8 inch tins instead to ensure it is cooked through.