Venetian Carrot Cake

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 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.

2Grate 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.

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

4Whisk 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.

5Whisk 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.

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

7Sprinkle 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.

8Remove 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.

9Remove 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.

MAKE AHEAD

1The 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.

FREEZE

1The cake can be frozen (still on base of tin if easier), carefully wrapped in double layer of clingfilm and 1 layer of foil, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature.