Carrot Cake with Orange Frosting - Recipe

I wasn't going to blog about this, because I thought it was a bit of a disaster when I made it. But the reactions I got from Himself (not a cake fan) and when I took it to work was so good, I thought I should try and remember how I did it! It's a good carrot cake!

When I whisked up the mascarpone, it went all curdled (due to the orange zest I guess), so I kept adding icing sugar until it came back together. It was still really runny, but I wanted to get it done, and we had a visitor, so with him watching, the disaster unfolded...

It was so runny it just seeped down through the cake. I mean, it looks fine in this photo, right? But 5 minutes later it was all over the cake stand! I kept re-loading it for a while but it didn't let up.

Had to cut a slice to try it, obviously, and even then the frosting cascaded down the centre!

So it didn't look good... But it tasted amazing. Which is why I needed to share it. Perhaps the whole drizzle effect kept it moist and fresh for longer! The frosting eventually hardened, so it was more presentable, and everyone loved it. 

The recipe is taken and adapted from Rhubarb&Rose's Decorated.

Carrot Cake

Prep Time: 20-30 mins

Cook Time: 50-60 mins

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

 

For the cake:

 

100 g pecans, roughly chopped (you can pre-roast them if you wish - 5-10 mins in the oven)

320 g golden caster sugar

180 ml rapeseed oil

3 eggs

225 g plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp ground cinnamon

6-7 carrots, peeled and grated

Zest of half an orange (save the other half for the frosting)

 

 For the frosting:

 

1 tub mascarpone (~250 g)

Zest of half an orange

100 g icing sugar (plus more as needed)

 

Method:

Line a 18 cm cake tin and heat the oven to 170 C.

Beat together the sugar, oil and eggs, until pale.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, cinnamon and a pinch of salt, and beat until combined. Next, fold in the grated carrot, orange zest and chopped pecans.

Pour into the cake tin and bake in the oven for about 50-60 minutes - check towards the end with a skewer, it should come out clean.

Allow to cool, then turn out on to a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat the mascarpone with the orange zest in a mixture until smooth. Add the icing sugar and continue to beat. If it curdles, keep adding more icing sugar until it comes back together and is a runny consistency. If it becomes smooth and thickens, well done - that's how it should be!

Slice the cake in half horizontally, and then pour some of the frosting on top of the bottom half. Place the top half back on and then pour the frosting over the top and let it drizzle down. It may seep, just keep and eye on it and re-apply it if needed. If your frosting is nice and thick then just smooth it over the top as you wish.

Decorate with any leftover pecan nuts, if you wish.



Have you had any major cake disasters, which you managed to salvage?