Carrot Cake / Healthy Version

Ingredients 

2 Medium eggs 
200g  Soft Brown Sugar (coconut sugar) 
150 ml olive oil 
200g grated carrot - or any grated root vegetable such as celeriac, parsnip or beetroot 
50g walnuts or pecans roughly chopped 
75g diced pineapple, fresh or  tinned, roughly chopped 
50g desiccated coconut 
200g plain flour or gluten free or almond flour (Almond flour: substitute 1:1 with all-purpose (white) flour. Note: Almond flour typically requires more egg or binding agent, so the recipe might need to be altered - i.e. add in another egg)
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 
1 tsp salt 

For Icing 
100g cream cheese 
50g unsalted butter 
400g icing sugar (To substitute maple syrup for sugar, for every cup (8 oz / 225g) of sugar called for use 3/4 cup (6 oz / 175 ml) maple syrup, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and reduce other liquid in the recipe by 3 tbsp)

Heat oven to 150C (300F or gas mark 2). Line an 8in(21cm baking tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. 

The icing needs to be prepared in advance so that it can be chilled before spreading. Beat cream cheese and butter together thoroughly - easiest with an electric whisk, but strong hand- beating will also work. Add the icing sugar in three equal batches, beating well between each addition. Leave in the fridge to set. 

In a large bowl, using an electric beater, whisk the eggs at high speed until doubled in volume. Add the sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy. With the whisk still on high speed, add the oil, in a slow steady stream and keep beating until mixture holds its shape. 

Using a metal spoon, gently fold the carrot (or chosen root veg), using a figure-of-eight technique to mix without knocking out the air, in with the nuts, pineapple and coconut. Sift flour into a bowl and gently fold in the cinnamon, bicarb, salt.

Transfer mixture to the tin and bake for about an hour - test by poking a skewer into the center of the cake; it should come out cleanly, without any mixture sticking to it. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. When completely cooled, slice across the cake and spread a third of the cream cheese mixture over the bottom half. Put the top back on and cover the whole cake with the remaining icing.