ULTIMATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients twice.
• Beat the eggs until thick, add the sugar gradually (use an electric beater at high speed for about 3 minutes) until the mixture is very thick.
• Add the oil slowly and beat for another 2 minutes.
• Add carrots, pineapple, nuts, Amarula Cream and apricot jam and mix by hand.
• Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and fold in with a spatula until well blended.
• Butter a 28 cm diameter loose-bottomed spring form ring, an angle cake tin or 2 loaf tins**.
• Either line the base with baking paper or sprinkle with dry biscuit crumbs to coat lightly.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 356 degrees to 375 degrees for 1 hr and 10 minute or until done.
• Allow to firm and cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
• ICING:.
• Cream the butter and gradually add the icing sugar.
• Gently stir in the Amarula Cream and the cream cheese.
• Don't over mix once the cheese has been added as it is inclined to become watery.
• Garnish:.
• Crystallized pineapple slices and pecan nuts.
• (**CAKE TINS: If using a 28cm springform tin with a hole in the middle there will be a little too much mixture. Fill the tin 2/3 full and bake the rest of the mixture in a muffin tin will make plus/minus 6 muffins extra.
• Angel cake tin - the mixture fits fine.
• Loaf tin - use one very large loaf tin - 30cm x 10 cm or 2 smaller ones).
• (Tip: If you "drip-dry" the cheese in a muslin cloth overnight, it becomes much drier. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.).