Parrot's Carrot Cake

Directions

1. Prepare a loaf pan or springform cake pan by lining all sides with baking parchment paper.
2. Peel and finely grate the carrots, weighing as you go along until you get 200g worth (you will most likely have leftovers). Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the 100g all-purpose flour, 60g whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour with the baking powder, ground cinnamon and ground ginger. Whisk lightly to combine, then set aside.
4. Toast the walnuts in the oven at 180*C (350*F) for about 5 minutes, being careful not to burn them. Chop roughly, then combine with the raisins and 1 Tablespoon of flour in a bowl and toss with your fingers to separate the raisins and coat them evenly with flour (this helps the chunky bits stay suspended in the cake batter).
5. Pre-heat your oven to 180*C (350*F). Using another large mixing bowl (or your KitchenAid mixer bowl), break the eggs into it then whisk vigorously with an electric mixer or KitchenAid mixer on high for 30 seconds. Add the salt and sugar and beat for at least 2 minutes until it’s very light and fluffy and turns a pale, butter-yellow colour.
6. Add the vanilla essence and the finely grated orange zest. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the oil. When all the oil is added, give it another 30 seconds of vigorous whisking to thoroughly emulsify the mixture.
7. Fold in the dry flour mixture by hand with a silicone spatula. Add the grated carrots, fold it in briefly, then add the raisin-walnut-flour mixture and fold it in again until just thoroughly combined. Be careful not to over-mix!
8. Scrape the batter into your loaf pan, place it on an oven rack, and slide the rack onto the position just below-center of your oven. Bake for 55 minutes, then check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake; if it comes out clean, it’s done. If the toothpick comes out wet, bake for another 5-8 minutes.
9. Remove the loaf pan and let it cool on your kitchen top for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a raised wire rack to cool completely (it will take about 2 hours for your cake to cool completely to room temperature).
10. To make the frosting: use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the cream cheese, butter and salt for 1-2 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula once in a while. Add half the powdered sugar and whiz gently to combine, then add the other half and whiz gently to combine. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 2 minutes more until fluffy and well-combined.