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How to make carrot and honey cake with mascarpone honey icing

Country Life

Proof that, even when the sun is beating down and the mercury is working its way towards 100 degrees, it's never the wrong time for cake.

The popularity of recipes involving honey have apparently rocketed during lockdown — as, of course, has everything involving home baking. It’s been astonishing.

If you’re keen to combine the two — and into the bargain move your baking skills beyond banana bread and home-made sourdough — this recipe from the test kitchen at Rowse Honey is really something. Enjoy.

Recipe: Carrot and honey cake with mascarpone honey icing

Ingredients

(Serves 6)

For the cake

  • 85g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • 85g self-raising plain white flour
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder, sifted if lumpy
  • 3 medium free-range eggs
  • 125ml sunflower oil or light olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Rowse Clear Honey
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g grated carrots
  • 50g chopped walnuts

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For the icing

  • 200g mascarpone or cream cheese
  • 2 ½ tbsp Rowse Clear Honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Grated zest of 1 orange (optional)

Method

For the cake, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a 20cm round cake tin, at least 5cm deep, with baking parchment.

Mix together the flours, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl. In a jug whisk together the eggs, oil, honey, orange juice and vanilla then pour into the flour mixture along with the grated carrot and walnuts. Stir to combine, but don’t overmix.

Spoon the batter into the tin, gently smooth out the surface and bake in the oven for 40 – 50 minutes or until firm to the touch and a sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

For the icing, beat together the mascarpone, honey and vanilla. Greek honey and Acacia honey both work well in the icing.

Remove the cool cake from the tin and spread the icing on top. Decorate with orange zest if using.

Alternative: For a dairy-free version replace the mascarpone icing with an orange honey drizzle: boil the juice and grated zest of an orange with 3 tablespoons of Rowse Clear Honey for 2-3 minutes. Prick the cake all over while still warm in the tin and pour the honey mixture on top. Leave to cool completely.