Step 1

Grease and line one 6-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.

Step 2

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 3

In a separate mixing bowl, add oil, vanilla, egg and milk. Mix briefly with a fork just to break up the egg yolk.

Step 4

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, along with the walnuts and carrots. Stir until combined.

Step 5

Transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step 6

Leave to cool for 10 minutes, before carefully removing from cake pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7

Add cream cheese to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. There shouldn’t be any lumps.

Step 8

Add sugar and maple and beat again until combined and smooth. Finally, stir through lemon zest.

Step 9

Use a spatula to spread the frosting on top of the cake. Decorate with walnuts, if desired.