Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat the oven to 170°C and prepare an 18cm round pan.

Sift the cake flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda together so the leavening and spices are evenly spread before mixing.

Whisk 3 eggs with 200g sugar until the mixture looks lighter and slightly thickened.

Drizzle in 180ml vegetable oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly, keeping the batter glossy and preventing separation.

Add the sifted dry mixture to the egg mixture and fold from the bottom with a spatula.

Stop as soon as most dry streaks disappear, because overmixing can make the finished crumb dense and tough.

Add 250g finely grated carrot and 60g roughly chopped walnuts.

Fold briefly until the carrot moisture and walnut pieces are spread throughout the batter, without crushing the walnuts or deflating the mixture.

Pour the batter into the pan and level the surface.

Bake at 170°C for 35-40 minutes, until the center no longer releases wet batter on a skewer, then cool the cake completely in the pan.

Beat softened 200g cream cheese, 100g powdered sugar, and 50g unsalted butter until smooth.

Chill the frosting briefly for cleaner spreading, apply it only to the fully cooled cake, and serve at room temperature.