Ingredients

• 1½ cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup pecan nuts, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup skim milk
• 250g jar apple sauce
• 3 small carrots, grated

Cream cheese frosting (optional)

• 1¼ cups light spreadable cream cheese
• ¼ cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp each lemon zest and juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Lightly grease a 23cm round cake tin, and line the base with baking paper.
3. Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda and spice into a large bowl. Add husks from sifted flour, and stir in sugar and nuts. Make a well in the centre.
4. In another bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk and apple sauce using a fork, then add to flour mixture. Stir gently until just combined, then stir in carrot.
5. Pour into prepared pan, and bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool. If frosting, wait until the cake is completely cool.
7. To make frosting, put cream cheese in a bowl and sift icing sugar over it. Add lemon zest and juice and stir until smooth.