Carrot, blackberry, walnut cake
Serves 12
Ingredients :
FOR THE CAKE
180g unsalted butter, softened
180g plain flour
170g light brown sugar
160g grated carrot
80g walnut
3 medium eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tsp ground of cinnamon
1tsp ground of allspice
1tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE BLACKBERRY COMPOTE
150g blackberries
75ml Cointreau
4 tbsp caster sugar
FOR THE FROSTING
400g mascarpone cheese
40ml Cointreau
300ml double cream
35g icing sugar
Preheat the oven 180°C and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together into a bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs until smooth. Stir the carrots and chopped walnuts into this mixture then fold in the sifted dry ingredients.
Divide the batter between the paper cases filling them up to two-thirds. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Then place on a wire rack to cool completely while you make the blackberry compote.
Put the blackberry and Cointreau into a saucepan and stir in the sugar. Place the pan on the hob and bring to the boil, allowing the liquid to slightly reduce and the blackberries break up, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Using an electric whisk beat the mascarpone and Cointreau until smooth add whipped double cream and icing sugar.
When the cupcakes have cooled, use a knife to cut top of the cupcakes, pour approximately 1 teaspoonful of blackberry compote, let the syrup soaked into the cupcakes
Frost the cupcakes with the mascarpone cream and drizzle with the blackberry compote.