Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Icing

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C/ 350˚F/ Gas Mark 4.
2. Lightly grease a 20cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin and line with non-stick baking parchment.
3. Set up the small work bowl with the small chopping/mixing blade. Chop the walnut pieces using the ‘PULSE’ function. Remove the small bowl and reserve 50g of the chopped walnuts for the cake and 25g for the icing.
4. Set up the large bowl with the fine shredding/grating disc and grate the carrots.
5. Remove the disc and fit the large chopping/ mixing blade to the work bowl. Add all the cake ingredients including 50g of the chopped walnuts to the grated carrots in the large work bowl.
6. Use the ‘PULSE’ button until the mixture starts to come together and then process on ‘LOW’ until you have a smooth mixture. Do not over mix. Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin and gently level the surface.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 50 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.
8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack.
9. For the mascarpone icing, set up the small work bowl with the small chopping/mixing blade.
10.  Add the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and icing sugar to the small work bowl. Combine the ingredients using the ‘PULSE’ button. Add the orange zest and again combine using the ‘PULSE’button. Do not over process or the icing will become a little runny.
11.  To prepare the cake, slice it lengthways through the centre giving you 2 round halves. Sandwich these two halves together with a third of the icing (spread evenly). Use the remaining icing to cover the top (and sides if desired).
12.  Top with the remaining chopped walnuts.
13.  Serve immediately.