For 12–14 you need:
-Two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins, buttered and lined
-4 medium eggs
-225ml sunflower oil
-175g light muscovado sugar
-3 tablespoons maple syrup
-2 tsps ground cinnamon
-300g self-raising flour
-1tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
-50g pine nuts, toasted
-350g (2–3) carrots, coarsely grated
For icing and decorating
-400g full-fat cream cheese
-50ml double cream
-75g icing sugar
-chocolate icing
-chocolate sprinkles
- red icing
-red sugar sprinkles
Directions
-Heat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Whisk eggs, oil, sugar and syrup until creamy.
- Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, fold gradually into the mixture. Fold in the pine nuts and carrots.
-Divide between tins, bake for 35–40mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10mins, then turn out on to rack.
-Beat the cream cheese and cream together until smooth, then beat in the icing sugar until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble, place one sponge top-down on a plate and spread the surface with a third of the icing. Top with the other cake and cover it with rest of icing. Smooth flat with palette knife. Use a cocktail stick to mark out where you want your design. Use chocolate icing to pipe the eyes and the antlers. Scatter with chocolate sprinkles. Use red icing to pipe outline of nose and fill with red sprinkles. Serve.