Slow Cooker Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 125 g sunflower oil
• 175 g light brown soft sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp. mixed spice (or ground cinnamon if you prefer)
• Finely grated zest 1 orange, plus juice of ½
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 150 g coarsely grated carrot
• 80 g sultanas

FOR FROSTING

• 125 g full fat cream cheese
• 75 g icing sugar
• Finely grated zest 1 orange
• 50 g chopped walnuts, optional

Directions

1. Line a slow cooker pot with non-stick parchment.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, juice of half the orange and the zest of 1 orange. 
3. Stir in the flour and bicarbonate of soda until smooth, then the carrot and sultanas.
4. Tip batter into the prepared slow cooker pot. Turn the slow cooker on to low, cover and cook for 1 hour. Use a heatproof spatula/spoon to gently and briefly mix the batter, redistributing any sunken sultanas. 
5. Switch the slow cooker to high, cover and cook for a further 2 – 2.5 hours or until completely cooked through, springy to the touch with no wet batter remaining on top. Turn off cooker and allow cake to cool to room temperature inside pot.
6. Lift out cake, flip on to board and peel off paper. Allow to cool completely. 
7. Whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar and remaining zest together to make a thick, spreadable frosting. Spread over the top of the cake and then sprinkle over the walnuts. Chill for 20min before slicing. Store in fridge in an airtight container.