Luca Ciano's Carrot Cake with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato

Be inspired by Luca Ciano’s recipe for Carrot Cake with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato. Episode 2 of Luca’s Key Ingredient celebrated the benefits of cooking with, and utilising good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil - even in desserts. Re-create this delicious recipe with your Smeg Stand Mixer and Ice Cream Maker - whipping up flavourful cake bases with velvety gelatos, sorbets and ice creams has never been easier!

Catch the new season of Luca’s Key Ingredient, Sundays at 9:30am on Channel 10 or on demand.

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS 

Carrot Cake

300 g carrots, peeled and finely grated

 60 g carrots, peeled and finely grated

 300 g self-raising flour

 200 g castor sugar

 ⅓ tsp baking powder

 pinch of salt

 90 g Monini Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 3 whole eggs, room temperature

 20 g shaved almonds

 icing sugar, to dust

 honey, to serve

Olive Oil Gelato
1 cup fresh milk

 2 cups pouring/single cream

 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

 6 egg yolks

 ⅔ cup cup caster sugar

 ⅔ cup Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil

METHOD:

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22 cm pie dish or 20 cm round cake tin.

2. Sieve and mix all dry ingredients into a large bowl, then add carrots, and oil and stir in one egg at a time. Stir until all is well combined.

3. Pour the mix into the baking tin, sprinkle the shaved almonds over the top and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve.

5. For the gelato, heat milk, cream, and vanilla in a deep pot till hot but not boiling. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, place egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix till thick and pale in colour. Then add the hot cream mixture and whisk continuously.

6. Pour the mixture back into your pot. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until thick - to be very precise up to 82°C.

7. Remove from heat and whisk in olive oil and place in the fridge to cool. Pour the cooled custard into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions till the ice cream is firm.

8. If you don’t have a gelato maker, place the custard into a deep tray in the freezer for 1 hour. Then every 30 minutes take it out and beat it with an electric mixer. Repeat this for 3-4 times at least till the gelato is firm.

9. Once your cake has cooled and gelato is ready, cut yourself a generous slice topped with the ice cream. Then garnish with honey and icing sugar.

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