scrummy yummy carrot cake

my favourite carrot cake recipe, taken from bbc goodfood 101 cakes & bakes (tried & tested recipes); the first book i bought on baking. the recipe is so fool proof, again easy to make. the recipe is also available online from  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

Ingredients

• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 175ml sunflower oil
• 3 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 140g grated carrots (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 frosting

• 175g icing sugar
• 1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Method

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. The easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways,covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base.
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 orange rind.
3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate ofsoda and spices, then sift into thebowl. Lightly mix all theingredients - when everythingis evenly amalgamated stopmixing.The mixture will be fairly softand almost runny.
4. Pour the mixture into theprepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until it feels firmand springy when you press it inthe centre. Cool in the tin for 5minutes, then turn it out, peeloff the paper and cool on a wirerack. (You can freeze the cake atthis point.)
5. Beat together the frostingingredients in a small bowl untilsmooth - you want the icingabout as runny as single cream.Set the cake on a serving plateand boldly drizzle the icing backand forth in diagonal lines overthe top, letting it drip down the sides.

note:

1. muscovado sugar can be substituted with soft brown sugar.
2. i prefer soft cheese frosting to the icing sugar & orange frosting.