Carrot Cake
Carrot cake has been my least favourite for a very long time. When I don’t like something I always find a way to make some adjustments. This Mary Berry recipe has the addition of cinnamon, buttermilk and a little more sweetener in the mascarpone topping. I made this as birthday cake using a recommended recipe so could not deviate too much from the original. It is a light and moist cake. I hope you enjoy putting your stamp on it.
Ingredients
240g self-raising flour
1tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
150g light muscovado sugar
50g walnuts, chopped
100g carrots
2 ripe bananas, roughly mashed (100g)
3 small eggs
150ml sunflower oil
1tbsp buttermilk
For the topping
250g mascarpone
5 tsp icing sugar
25g walnuts, chopped
1tbsp vanilla paste
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep, round 20cm cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking parchment.
Put the carrot, walnuts cinnamon, flour, baking powder and vanilla into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs, oil, buttermilk and whisk until combined.
Pour the liquid mix into the flour mix and fold until combined.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 45 minutes. (after 25 I cover the cake with foil and return it to the oven). I do this to stop it getting too dark.
Bake until the cake is well risen, golden and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, turn the cake out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
For the topping, put the mascarpone cheese into a small bowl, add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and walnuts and beat together. Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
Store the iced cake in the fridge.