Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mascarpone Frosting

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mascarpone Frosting

Prep 45 minutes Bake 30 minutes Makes 16 servings

4 large carrots, peeled

2 ½ cups flour

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

½ t. kosher salt

½ t. cardamom

½ t. freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 t. vanilla

5 eggs, separated, room temperature

¾ cup buttermilk

1 recipe Cream Cheese Mascarpone Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans; set aside.

2. Finely shred 3 of the carrots. Coarsely shred 1 carrot. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cardamom and nutmeg; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in carrots and vanilla until combined. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture.

4. Thoroughly was beaters. In clean large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Divide batter between prepared pans, filling each with 3 cups batter (about 1/3 full). Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool.

5. Spread cream cheese Mascarpone Frosting over top of each layer; stack layers on a cake plate. Frost sides.

Cream Cheese Mascarpone Frosting

In a very large bowl, beat 3 sticks softened unsalted butter, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, and 8 oz. softened mascarpone cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 lb. powdered sugar, ¼ t. kosher salt, ¼ t. cardamom, and 1 t. vanilla until smooth. Makes about 6 cups

To create a 4 layer cake, prepare recipe as directed and bake 9” layers. Prepare recipe again, except substitute 2 6 x 2 inch round cake pans, adding 1 cup batter to each pan. Bake 25=30 minutes as directed. Bake remaining batter as cupcakes). To assemble layers; Double frosting recipe; frost and stack cake layers. Make short horizontal pulls in frosting with an offset spatula to create a ripple texture on the cake sides.

I made this cake as pictured a while back for a birthday party for a very good friend. It is delicious. I am thinking I may make it for Easter this year. If you decide to make it, I hope you enjoy.