Took this recipe from JoyofBaking.com. Great website! The authors gives lots of tips on what to look out for! The steps are simple and easy to follow!

Like the photo on the website, the cake turned out soft and springy! The toasted walnuts enhanced the taste and makes the cake very fragrant! The cake was supposed to be frosted with cream cheese frosting, but I skipped that step as I wanted a light cake. Mom loves the cake and request to bake only this cake in future... FAINTZ!




Carrot Cake
Ingredients
100g walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
340g raw carrots, finely grated
280g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 salt
1 1/2 ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
300g granulated white sugar
240 ml safflower, vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Note: For a moister carrot cake, add 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple (well drained) or applesauce to the batter when you add the oil and vanilla extract. You may have to bake the cake a few minutes longer.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
57g unsalted butter, room temperature
227g cream cheese, room temperature
230g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated lemon zest of one lemon

Garnish: (Optional)
100g toasted and finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Marzipan Carrots

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Toast the walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In bowl of electric mixer, beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).
5. Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.
7. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.
9. To assemble: place one cake layer, top side down, onto your serving plate. Spread with about one third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake, top of cake facing down, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, press toasted and finely chopped nuts on the sides of the cake and decorate the top of the cake with marzipan carrots (see below). Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Frosting
In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.