Ingredients

Step by step

1. First, make the candied orange. Remove the zest from 2 large oranges using a zester (not a grater), leaving them in long strands. Melt the 75g sugar in 75ml water in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil. Add the zest and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and immediately toss the zest in granulated sugar. Cool on baking paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Arrange 12 paper cases in a muffin tray.
3. Place the lemon and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of orange juice to the bowl. Reserve the rest for the icing. Peel and finely grate the carrot and add it to the bowl.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into another bowl. Mix half of the crushed cardamom seeds into the flour with the ground almonds.
5. Place the egg whites in a large dry bowl. Whisk until they form soft peaks. Then gradually whisk in the caster sugar, until you have a glossy, floppy meringue.
6. Lightly beat the egg yolks, then fold them into the egg whites with a metal spoon, followed by one-third of the almond flour mixture, then one-third of the carrot mix. Repeat until all the ingredients are folded into the meringue.
7. Spoon into the paper muffin cases. Bake for about 25 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, put on a plate, cover and chill for at least 2 hours. This firms the cakes up and makes them more moist.
9. For the cream cheese icing, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, remaining ground cardamom seeds and remaining lemon and orange juice. Then beat in the cooled melted butter. Spread a swirl of icing on each cake and chill the cakes again for an hour. Decorate with the candied orange to serve.