A soft, spiced carrot cake with a fresh hit of orange, finished with silky mascarpone frosting. Simple to make, lovely to share. And the best part is your Cooks Professional Stand Mixer does all the hard work.
Ingredients
- 300g carrots, grated
- 300g self-raising flour
- 220g caster sugar
- 80g light brown soft sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 220ml sunflower oil
- 1 large orange, zested and juiced
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 60g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 250g mascarpone
- 80g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 orange, zested (for frosting)
- 1 tbsp orange zest, for decoration
Method
1. To set up, preheat your 48L Mini Oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins. This prep makes for an easy and even bake.
2. In the Bowl of your Stand Mixer, beat together the caster sugar, light brown soft sugar, 3 large eggs and sunflower oil until smooth and well combined.
3. Next, stir in through the orange zest and juice, then carefully fold in the grated carrots. This is where the cake gets its vibrant colour.
4. Sift in the self-raising flour, along with the ground cinnamon, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and fine salt. Stir gently until just combined making sure not to overmix. This will ensure a much lighter sponge.
5. Roughly chop your walnuts for a bit of texture and slowly fold them through the batter. Divide the batter evenly between your two tins.
6. Place the tins into your 48L Mini Oven and bake until golden. Keep an eye on it and once golden, check that it’s cooked through with a skewer.
7. Leave the cakes in their tins for 20 minutes to rest, then turn out onto a wire rack. Make sure they're fully cool before frosting, or the mascarpone will slide right off.
8. Next to make the mascarpone frosting - beat your unsalted butter on a high setting in your Stand Mixer until soft, then sift in the icing sugar. Beat again on low until well combined and smooth, making sure to equip the Splash Guard to prevent any mess. Gently fold in the mascarpone and orange zest on a low setting on your Stand Mixer, until just combined - overbeating can make mascarpone go runny.
9. Once your frosting is the desired consistency, spread a layer between the two sponges, then cover the top and sides with the remaining.
10. Scatter over orange zest and walnuts, for a fresh and colourful finish. Slice and enjoy with a good coffee or a cup of tea!