You need

20x30cm cake pan/ baking tray

Baking paper

Non-stick cooking spray

Clean, dry tea towel for rolling

The ingredients

500ml finely grated carrots

3 extra large eggs, at room temperature

125ml castor sugar

10ml finely grated orange zest

180ml cake flour

5ml ground ginger

5ml ground cinnamon

½ ml ground cloves

5ml baking powder

1ml salt

30ml canola or olive oil

100ml finely chopped pecan nuts

To prepare

  1. Line the pan with baking paper and spray it with non-stick spray
  2. Set the oven to 180⁰C
  3. Sift the dry ingredients together onto a sheet of baking paper or onto a plate, then return the flour to the sieve for a second sifting into the mixing bowl later

4. Preferably using a food mixer, place the eggs in a mixing bowl, add the castor sugar and orange zest and whisk until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is mousse-like

5. Sift half the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and very gently fold it in, then add half of the carrots, then the remaining dry ingredients and finally add the remaining carrots, oil and nuts. Fold in as lightly as possible.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly.

7. Bake at 180⁰C for 12-15 minutes. If you insert a toothpick it should come out dry.

8. While the cake is baking, place the tea towel on your kitchen counter.

9. Turn the cooked cake out onto the kitchen towel. While the cake is warm, using the towel to support the cake, roll the cake lengthwise.

10. Start the roll by making a 15-20mm ‘fold’. Once rolled up, leave it to cool. The cake must be completely cool before it is filled.

11. To fill the cake, gently unroll it, leaving the first ‘curl’ in place. Spread the jam over the cake and then the cream cheese filling.

12. Using the tea towel to support it, roll the cake and place it ‘seam side’ down on your serving platter.

13. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Cream cheese filling

200-2250g (1 tub) Cream Cheese (full fat)

200ml soft butter, it is IMPORTANT that the butter is SOFT, almost the same consistency as the cream cheese!

500ml icing sugar

1ml salt

7ml vanilla extract

10ml grated orange zest

Optional extra filling: about 50ml jalapeño or chilli jam or smooth apricot jam

To finish

Sifted icing sugar

To prepare the filling

I find it best to make the filling a few hours or day ahead so that it can firm up in the fridge

Place the cream cheese and butter in the food mixer and beat it well to blend the butter and cream cheese together, add the remaining ingredients, except the optional jam.

Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Refrigerate before using to firm it up before using to firm it up, especially in summer. Alternatively use more icing sugar!