Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Topping

Ingredients

  • 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 150 g (5 oz) light muscovado sugar
  • 50 g (2 oz) walnut pieces, chopped
  • 100g (4 oz) carrots, coarsely grated
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 eggs
  • 150 ml (5 fl oz) sunflower oil


FOR THE TOPPING

  • 250g (9 oz) tub mascarpone cheese
  • 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
  • about 25g (1 oz) walnut pieces, chopped

Equipment

20 cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin
Makes 1 x 20cm (8 inch) cake

Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Topping

INTRODUCTION

Always a popular cake, this American carrot cake needs to be stored in the fridge because of the masarpone topping. Walnut pieces are cheaper than walnut halves and are perfect for cakes.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation time: about 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 50-60 minutes

  1. Lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

  2. Measure all of the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and mix well until thoroughly blended, an electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon. Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin and gently level the surface.

  3. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the cake is well risen, golden and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin. A fine skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then loosen the sides of the cake from the tin with a small palette knife or blunt knife, turn the cake out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

  4. For the topping, mix the mascarpone cheese in a small bowl with the vanilla extract and the sieved icing sugar. Spread evenly over the top of the cake and scatter the chopped walnuts on top. Store in the refrigerator.