3/18/2019 Venetian Carrot Cake | Nigella's Recipes | Nigella Lawson

VENETIAN CARROT CAKE

by Nigella. Featured in KITCHEN

INTRODUCTION

I long thought that carrot cake was an American invention, until I

found out that an early version was made by Venetian Jews in the
original ghetto. This modest disc is very different from the gargantuan
US model with its rich sweet cream-cheese filling and topping, and
although - apart from a glorious goldenness - it's not much to look at, it
is divine to eat. It also has the added virtue of being attractive to those
with dairy and gluten allergies: it came to me dairy free, and I decided
to use ground almonds in place of flour to keep the gluten-averse
brigade happy, too, but more particularly because it tastes perfect to me
like this. Only those with less austere eating habits will care to dollop
alongside each damply crumbling wedge of cake my Italianate nod to Photo by Lis Parsons

the American cream-cheese frosting - a soft, rum-flavoured

mascarpone cream.

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 8-10

FOR THE CARROT CAKE

3 x 15ml tablespoons toasted pinenuts

2 medium carrots (approx. 200-250g/2 cups)
75 grams golden sultanas
60 millilitres rum
150 grams caster sugar
125 millilitres regular olive oil plus some for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
250 grams ground almonds
½ teaspoon nutmeg
finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM (OPTIONAL)

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3/18/2019 Venetian Carrot Cake | Nigella's Recipes | Nigella Lawson

250 grams mascarpone cream

2 teaspoons icing sugar
2 x 15ml tablespoons rum

METHOD
You will need 1 x 23cm springform or other round cake tin (1 x 9-inch springform pan)

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F. Line the base of your cake tin with re-
usable non-stick silicone liner or baking parchment and grease the sides with olive oil. Toast the
pine nuts by browning in a fatless pan; the oven alone is not enough to scorch out the paleness.

2. Grate the carrots in a processor (for ease) or with a coarse grater, then sit them on a double layer of
kitchen roll and wrap them, to soak up excess liquid.

3. Put the golden sultanas in a small saucepan with the rum, bring to the boil, turn down and simmer
for 3 minutes.

4. Whisk the sugar and oil - I use my freestanding mixer, but it wouldn't be much of a faff by hand -
until creamily and airily mixed.

5. Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs and when well whisked, fold in the ground almonds, nutmeg,
grated carrots, golden sultanas (with any rum that clings to them) and, finally, the lemon zest and
juice.

6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. The
batter will be very shallow in the tin.

7. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the cake and put it into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the
top is risen and golden and cake tester comes out sticky but more or less clean.

8. Remove from the oven and let the cake sit in its tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes before
unspringing and leaving it on the rack to cool.

9. Remove the cake to a plate to serve; mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and rum and put in a
bowl to spoon alongside, for those who want.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MAKE AHEAD NOTE:
The cake can be baked up to 3 days ahead. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and store in airtight container in a
cool place. Will keep for total of 5-6 days.

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