Tokyo might seem a strange place to stumble across a British born Parisienne baking phenomenon, but that’s where we found the Rose Bakery last week. Shopping at Dover Street Market in Ginza on a whistlestop tour of the Japanese capital, we found ourselves slightly wilting. Lucky, then, to find the Rose Bakery on the top floor, the Asian outpost of the Parisienne eatery already famous around the world. And, one bit of their carrot cake had us joining their crowd of fans.

The brainchild of Rose Carrarini and her husband Jean Claude, The Rose Bakery was opened near the Gare du Nord in 2002. Daring to tell the French how to eat, the couple (she is British, he French, they had previously worked in fashion and launched a cafe in London,) quickly became famous for their delicious salads and incredible treats (the lemon polenta cake and carrot cake being particularly well known highlights.) Quickly, it became a must do stop on the Paris visitors list -and a particular favourite of the fashion week crowd. The cafe’s understated look, impeccable fresh ingredients and simple but delicious food proved too much of a killer combo for most to resist. For those not currently heading to Japan or Paris, however, help is at hand. The cafe have published two books, the latest, How To Boil an Egg, just a couple of months ago, and they’re great. Simple, delicious recipes that are the chicest take on naughty eating we’ve ever seen. So good, they might convince even us to break out the baking trays.

To get you started, here’s their recipe for Carrot Cake:

Rose’s carrot cake

Serves 8

unsalted butter, for greasing
4 eggs
225g caster sugar
300ml sunflower oil
9 medium carrots, finely grated
300g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 rounded tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp salt
150g finely chopped walnuts

for the icing

125g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese
1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract
50-75g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line the base with parchment. Beat the eggs and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Pour in the oil and beat for a few more minutes. Fold in the carrots then the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin before taking it out. To make the icing, beat the butter with the cream cheese and add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Ice when the cake is cool.

All Pictures from: Breakfast, Lunch and Tea and How to Boil an Egg by the Rose Bakery

Books available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Boil-Egg-Rose-Carrarini/dp/071486241X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Lunch-Tea-Little-Bakery/dp/0714844659