Carrot Muffins or cake

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 15-20 minutes for muffins or 20-25 mins for a cake
Bake ware: 7 in cake tin 6 muffin tray or 1lb loaf tin
or 1ilb loaf tin

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
125g soft brown sugar
125g self raising flour, sifted
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg  (add to the flour)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (add into the flour)
125g grated carrot
30g sultanas optional
2 large eggs

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing:
250g cream cheese (go half and half with creme frache to reduce fat content )
125g icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts to decorate

Method
Preheat an oven to 180°C. Put bun papers in tin; if using.

• Beat the butter and sugar together until they are well blended and creamy.
• Add the eggs while mixing at a slow speed one at a time and mix them into the butter until they are well combined.
• Gently stir in the carrot, walnuts and sultanas with a wooden spoon so that they are well mixed into the cake mix.
• Gradually add the flour mix using a sieve, into the mixture, use the low speed. Mix the mixture together until it well blended and smooth.
• Spoon the cake batter into a well greased muffin tin so that each one is 2/3's full.
• Place the muffin tin on the centre shelf of the preheated oven. Leave the muffins to cook for 20-30 minutes until they have raised, bounce back when touched.
•  To test them insert a small skewer or knife in the centre of one it should come out clear when they are ready. Remove the muffins from the oven and turn them out on a rack to cool.

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing: Place the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon in a mixing bowl. Whisk all the ingredients together until all the ingredients are well blended. Place the icing in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. When the muffins have cooled spread a generous amount of icing over each one and sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
Store the carrot muffins in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days though they are best on the day prepared.