Spiced Carrot, Ginger and Sunflower Seed Cake

A moist but light cake packed with crunchy sunflower seeds and lots of warming spices topped with a slightly tart, yoghurt icing.

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
300 ml vegetable oil
300 grams brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2½ cups grated carrot
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground mixed spice
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup sunflower seeds, toasted

Icing
100 grams butter at room temperature
200 grams icing sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
3 tablespoons thick plain yoghurt
¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

Grease 2 x 20 cm cake tins and line the bases with baking paper

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar and ginger together then stir in the carrots.
Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and add the sunflower seeds. Add the carrot mixture and combine well, making sure there are no pockets of flour in the batter.
Divide evenly between the tins and bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool.

Icing: Beat the butter, icing sugar and golden syrup together until light and fluffy then beat in enough yoghurt to make a soft but not too wet icing.

To assemble: Place one cake, smooth side up on a serving plate and spread with half of the icing and half of the sunflower seeds. Top with the second cake and spread with the remaining icing and sunflower seeds. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Makes 1 cake