Name: Carrot Cake with Lime and Mascarpone Topping
Yield: Makes an 8" cake
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 level teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably freshly ground; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 cup light muscovado or light brown sugar; 2/3 cup (scant) sunflower oil; 2 organic large eggs; 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated organic carrots; 3/4 cup shelled walnuts, roughly chopped; 1 lime; 1 cup (scant) mascarpone; 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup unrefined confectioners' sugar; juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

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I have always loved a good, cinnamon-scented carrot cake but somehow found the normal cream cheese frosting too rich and too sweet for the cake. Carrots, after all, are sweet enough in their own right. However, this mascarpone topping—sharp textured with lemon and lime zest—contrasts perfectly with the texture and crunch of the carrots and walnuts. Take the path of least—if not no—resistance.

Recipe notes

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