Somethings are worth a try

The carrot cake is something I never like when I was younger. I don't eat walnuts and carrot in a cake was always something I second guessed. Was it meant to taste nice, or just a ploy to get people to eat carrots? So in my years of baking I never really made it (I don't think it counts standing in the kitchen when someone else makes it).
Then when I got older I thought it would be to simple and boring to make. Just a cake with cream cheese icing, where's the challenge in that?

Well the other week my husband requested a carrot cake and the only thing standing between me and this cake was, well...me. I started to get nervous, could I really do it? Was it going to turn out moist and taste good?

So I hesitated for a week. The following Monday I decided there was no time like the present and dove straight in.
It turns out it was easy and yes it was moist. Even the family seamed to like it. So there was no need to procrastinate. Who's knows what you can do when you give it a go!

So here is the recipe I used...go on give it a go!

Carrot cake:
150g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
2tsps ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2tsp nutmeg
1tsp baking soda
200ml vegetable oil
230g brown sugar
4 eggs
125ml golden syrup
500g grated carrot
60g chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 160c. Brush a deep 22cm (9") round cake tin with melted butter or oil. Line the base with baking paper.
Sift flours, spices and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
Whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and syrup. Gradually pour into the well, stirring into the dry ingredients until smooth.
Stir in the carrot and nuts. Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Leave in the tin for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream cheese icing:
2Tbs butter softened
1/4C cream cheese
1c icing sugar
1/2tsp grated lemon rind

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in icing sugar and lemon rind, beating well to combine.
Spread over cooled cake.