2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda (bicarb of soda)
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 and 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
2 tsp vanilla
option:  2-3 “balls” of ginger in syrup, minced finely and/or some raisins and/or some crushed pecans or walnuts.

Mix dry ingredients together in a big bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk together the oil and the eggs and then add the carrots and the vanilla and the optional ingredients if using.  Add wet ingredients to dry ones and just blend until mixed.

Bake in 2 or 3 layers in pans at 350 (170) for 35 minutes.  If you are going to bake as one big cake it will take about an hour to bake and you will need to cover it with foil for the final 25 minutes.  It is done when a fork comes out clean.

Icing:

8 oz full fat non spreadable traditional cream cheese (anything else is too dribbly)
1/2 cup butter
1 lb icing sugar
zest of one or two lemons (depending on how lemony you like it)
1 tsp lemon juice

Beat the cheese and butter very well until there are no lumps of  butter left at all.  Slowly add the icing sugar and then the zest and juice.  Ice the cake when it is completely cold or the icing will simply melt.  Decorate with pecans if you like.