Instructions

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Use this time to put ALL* walnuts in a baking pan and roast them while the oven is heating. Remove them once you smell them, or check every 5 minutes until they are done. Roughly chop HALF OF THEM (100g) when they are done and cooled again. Save THE OTHER HALF (100g) for the topping of the cake.

Combine sugar, eggs and oil and whisk through, until a bit airy.

Add the dry ingredients, i.e. flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Combine.

(switch to using a spatula/spoon now)

Throw in carrots and (100 g) walnuts and mix until well combined.

Line baking pans with paper, fill them and bake the cakes for 50 minutes. Check with a skewer if they are done. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done.

Let the cakes cool completely. You can store them for a few days (in plastic).

Make sure the butter is at room temperature!! Get it out of the fridge at least half an hour before usage.

Mix the butter to loosen it up. At least for 5-10 minutes. You want to see it becoming a bit lighter in colour.

Add the cream cheese and mix through. Add the powdered sugar and mix through (do this very carefully, at low speed at first and then a bit faster)

Make sure to have a biological orange, or rinse the skin properly. Zest 75% of the orange, or any quantity you like. Add it to the frosting and mix through. Taste it to see if it is to your liking.

Put the frosting in a piping/ziplock bag.

You can keep it for a few days in the fridge (in a closed off container).

Make sure to loosen it up before assembly. If it becomes a bit lumpy, you can warm it up slightly. Use au bain marie for this. Then mix through.

Use a bread knife to cut the cakes in half.

Stack the layers using frosting in between. Pipe the frosting from the piping bag (or ziplock bag and cut the corner). Use a spatula to even it out over the cake layer. Finish with some frosting on top.

Top with the left over walnuts (100 g) and some more orange zest. Voila!