The Best Carrot Cake Ever

This week has been so busy and today was no exception, swimming with my son, food shopping and we also had a friend over for lunch so of course i had to make something special but with limited time I opted for homemade focaccia with cold meats, cheeses, olives and homemade dips...all topped off with some gorgeous carrot cake!
This is probably one of my favourite cakes due to the fact that it is so moist and tasty ...and as its almost half carrot it must certainly be good for you and im sure it counts as one of your five a day hahaha, as I say to myself while tucking into my fourth piece :)))
My version, as so many, has nuts in but I haven't opted for walnuts or pecans..mine uses pistachios and with the orange zest...my goodness does it work well! The cake itself is so easy to make and the end result is amazing. I did it as a tray bake today but please feel free to use 2 x 8" cake tins and use the half the frosting to fill the two cakes and the remaining on top.

The Best Carrot Cake Ever with Pistachio Nuts

250ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
100g soft muscavado sugar
Zest ½ to 3/4 large orange
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (ground)
3 large free-range eggs
250 self-raising flour, sifted
250g carrots, coarsely grated (about 3 large carrots)
100g pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

THE CREAM CHEESE ICING
150g cream cheese
150g mascarpone
75g icing sugar, sifted
Zest ½ orange

Heat the oven to 180C/170c Grease a shallow 20x30cm (8x12in) cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm (2in) above the tin.
Place the oil, sugars, orange zest and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer bowl and mix on a medium speed until well beaten. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add the eggs.
Sift over the flour and spices and gently fold in with a large metal spoon until smooth. Fold in the grated carrot and the chopped pistachio nuts. Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for about 35 mins, or until golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin, then, with the help of the overhanging baking paper, lift the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To make the icing, mix together all the ingredients until smooth and light. Spread over the top of the cake.