The Wonderful „Autumn Jazz” Cake 🍰🍂🥕

For the carrot and nut sponge

• 193 g flour
• 170 g grated carrots
• 5 large eggs
• 10 g baking powder
• 210 g sugar
• 180 g butter
• 100 g chopped pecans (walnuts will do at a pinch)
• 2 g ground nutmeg
• 2 g ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt

For the caramelised apricots with carrot

• 110 g very finely chopped carrots
• 120 g very finely chopped dried apricots (must be soaked in water overnight)
• 100 g sugar

For the cheesecake layer

• 1 large egg
• 300 g mascarpone
• 50 g sugar
• 80 g 35% cream
• a pinch of salt
• 110 g caramelised apricots with carrot
• 23 g flour
• 20 g chopped pecans

For the mascarpone frosting

• 500 g mascarpone
• 100 g icing sugar
• 100 g 35% cream

For the carrot and nut sponge

1. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift the flour with the nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking powder and mix well.
2. Beat the eggs with the sugar at high speed with a mixer or food processor until you have a very light, airy foam. Add the flour mixture in two additions, folding well with a silicone spatula after each (don't overmix).
3. Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool a little. Stir 2-3 spoonfuls of the batter into the butter and mix well. Pour this back into the rest of the batter and fold through.
4. Add the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Fold through.
5. Divide the batter between two 16cm tins lined with baking paper and bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on how wet the batter is) in an oven preheated to 160°C (I always recommend using a thermometer, because few ovens actually heat to the temperature you want). Test the sponges with a toothpick. Cool the baked sponges, wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (overnight is best) so they don't crumble when cut.

For the caramelised apricots with carrot

1. Put the very finely chopped carrots in a pan, cover them with the sugar and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until you can see the carrots have softened completely and some water has cooked off. Add the finely chopped dried apricots (be sure to soak them in water overnight; you can also use fresh ones). Cook for another 7-10 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture resembles jam.

For the cheesecake layer

1. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Beat the mascarpone with the sugar and salt. Crack in the egg and beat again. Sift in the flour and fold through. Add the caramelised apricots with carrot and the chopped nuts, and bring everything together into a smooth mixture.
2. Pour it into a 16cm cake ring or tin lined with baking paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 120°C for about 50 minutes. The edges should have begun to set and the centre should wobble when nudged. Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and leave it for about 2 hours to cool. Cover the cooled cheesecake with cling film and leave it in the fridge for about 8 hours (overnight is best).

For the mascarpone frosting

1. Slowly beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar. Pour in the cold cream and whip well until the frosting is firm enough, but not overwhipped.

Assembling the cake

1. Cut the sponges into 4 layers of the thickness you want. Put a sponge layer on a board, spread a thin layer of mascarpone frosting over it and level it. Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the sponge, spoon half of the remaining caramelised apricot and carrot mixture inside and cover it with mascarpone frosting. Add the second sponge layer, spread a thin layer of mascarpone frosting, add the chilled cheesecake, spread a thin layer of frosting over its top and add the third sponge. Then frosting again, a dam, the apricots/carrots, frosting and a sponge. If you don't have much practice with layer cakes, I recommend putting the cheesecake in the very bottom layer, which avoids too much pressure on the first layer. If the mascarpone frosting is underwhipped and very soft, the bottom layer may not take the weight — but with the frosting whipped properly (and not overwhipped), you should not have that problem.
2. There should be enough mascarpone frosting left to coat the assembled cake. That gives you a "naked" cake, which you can then decorate however you like.