Carrot coconut and mascapone cake

Prep Time: 0:30
Cook Time: 0:50
Serves: 8

Ingredients / Shopping List

175g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
150ml rapeseed oil
100g wholemeal SR Flour
100g white SR Flour
1 rounded tsp mixed spice
1 level tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g carrots
80g pecan nuts (or walnuts)
1 orange
110g juicy raisins
15g sultanas
50g desiccated coconut
3 drained pineapple rings
Filling: 
250g mascarpone cheese
2 passion fruit
2 tblsp icing sugar
5ml lemon juice
Pecans for decoration
 

Prep to Cook:  Large mixing bowl, spatula, sieve, food processor, large bowl, vegetable knife, chopping board, peeler, zester

Prep:   Oven 180⁰C or Gas Mark 4

Make this cake in 4 stages:
1:  Put the eggs, oil and soft brown sugar in the food mixer basin and set machine to mix rapidly for 3 minutes to prepare the cake mixture
 
2:  Peel the carrots and shred using the processor attachment or a hand grater
 
Process the pecan nuts, raisins and drained pineapple rings
 
Add these ingredients together with the desiccated coconut to make the flavour mix.
 
3:  Finally sieve together the flours, bicarbonate, cinnamon and mixed spice to create the flour mixture (Put the bran left behind into the carrot flavour mix)
 
4: Combine the flavour mix, flour mix and the cake mixture together and stir well
 
Pour into one or two prepared cakes tins, greased and lined with non-stick paper
 
Cook gently at 180⁰C for about 35 – 40 minutes if two cake tins are used and for around 1 hour if one tin is used.
 
Allow cake to cool thoroughly.  
 
Prepare filling:  slice passion fruits in half and scrape out the centres into a sieve
 
Press the fruit through the sieve discarding the pips
 
Add this to the mascarpone cheese and mix thoroughly
 
Layer up the cake with the mascarpone cheese as the filling
 
Add 5ml boiling water to the lemon juice and icing sugar and mix.
 
Using a pastry brush glaze the top of the cake and scatter with broken pecan nuts.  Glaze again to finish the cake.
 
Check it out!
Carrot, coconut and mascapone cake is moist and rich and can be made and frozen. It is a big cake that feeds plentymade with oil rather than butter.
It provides a good range of nutrients from the nuts, fruits and vegetables.  
 
Recipe Science

Cooks Know How:

The different parts of this cake all have specific purposes. The eggs, oil and sugar mix forms the basis of the cake and aids the keeping quality of the cake by preventing staling.

The vegetable, fruits and nuts contribute to the texture and flavours and colour of the cake.
The flour, spices and raising agents form the bulk structure of the cake and add flavour.
These three parts combine together to make the raw cake mixture that needs cooking.  During cooking the sugar caramelises, the moisture in the mixture heats and some turns to steam raising the cake along with the gases from the raising agents.  The egg proteins and flour proteins set and hold the risen shape.  The flavours of the range of fruits, vegetables and spices meld and give the unique taste of rich carrot cake. The filling and glaze add richness and help to prevent the cake from staling.