Best friends, carrot cake and cream cheese are fully celebrated in this innovatice recipe, with a salty twist. Thank Melanie Johnson.
Ingredients
For the sponge-cake base:
- 50g sultanas
- 3 eggs
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 75ml vegetable oil
- 15ml runny honey
- 1tspn ground ginger
- 1tspn ground cinnamon
- 125g self-raising flour
- 100g carrots, grated
- 85g chopped pecans
For the caramel- cheesecake top layer:
- 600g cream cheese
- 100g icing sugar
- 285ml double cream
- 200ml salted caramel
- Pecans and toffee popcorn
Method
 Preheat your oven to 180˚C/
350˚F/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm (8in) spring-form tin.
 Place the sultanas in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Leave them to stand for about 10 minutes to hydrate.
 Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, then add the oil and mix thoroughly. Add the honey and spices and mix again, before pouring in the plumped-up sultanas and any remaining juice from the bowl.
 Sift the self-raising flour into the wet ingredients and fold through until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot and chopped pecans, then pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the top of the sponge is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin.
 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Pour in the double cream and beat again to ensure there are no lumps and continue until thickened. When the cake is cool, spoon the cheescake icing over it, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the mixture. Spread the salted caramel over the top, mixing it with the cheescake icing a little to make it pretty. Refrigerate overnight to set.
 Remove from the fridge when set and allow to warm slightly before cutting serving in slices. Decorate with a few extra pecans and the popcorn.
