Carrot cake with mascarpone cream

4 medium eggs, room temperature
250 ml mild rapeseed oil (or mild grapeseed oil)
150 g golden caster sugar
100 g light muscovado sugar
vanilla extract
280 g wholegrain spelt flour (finely milled, not roughly)
60 g rough wholegrain flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
5 allspice berries, ground
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
8 cloves, ground
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
250 g grated carrots (half finely grated, half roughly grated)
75 g walnuts, roughly chopped
40 g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
150 g raisins (optional, but I like the moistness they add)

cream:
250 g mascarpone
1/2 orange zest
pinch of salt
2 tbsp powdered sugar
375 ml double cream


Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 23 x 23 cm pan with parchment paper.

Mix the eggs, oil, and sugars in a bowl. If using vanilla extract, add it now. In another bowl, mix both flours, salt, spices, and baking soda and powder. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stir well. Add the nuts, carrots, and raisins (if using), and mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, on the rack just below the middle, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake, cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then lift it out with the parchment paper and place it on a rack to cool completely.

Cream. Put the mascarpone in a bowl with the orange zest, salt, and powdered sugar, and whisk until the mixture loosens (about 30 seconds). Add the double cream and whisk until firm peaks form. This may take a minute or two, or possibly up to 3 minutes, depending on the cream's consistency.

You can either leave the cake whole and spread the cream on top, or cut it into squares and top each one with cream. Alternatively, cut the sponge in half horizontally, spread some cream inside and on top, like a layered cake. Place the cake back in the tin and refrigerate for 12 hours, preferably, for the flavours to marry.

Decorate as desired with hazelnuts, edible flowers, olive leaves, or anything you like.