250g carrots, finely grated
5 eggs, separated
200g sugar
Zest of ½ lemon
250g ground almonds
75g flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves (tip of a knife)
Pinch of salt
100 g apricot jam
Glaze
250 g icing sugar
2½ Tbsp lemon juice
Decoration (optional):
10 marzipan carrots
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and grease all the inside surfaces with a little butter.
In an electric mixer, whisk the yolks with the sugar and lemon zest until pale and frothy.
Add the ground almonds.
Fold the carrot immediately into the egg mixture.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and spices, then gently fold into the batter to try and maintain the loft in the egg yolk.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the batter using a spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower part of the oven for 50–55 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool briefly, then remove from the pan and invert onto a wire rack.
Heat the apricot jam, strain through a fine sieve, and brush over the warm cake surface and sides. Let cool completely.
Glaze
Mix icing sugar with lemon juice until thick but pourable.
Pour the glaze over the centre of the cake, tilting slightly to evenly coat the top and sides. Allow to dry.
Decorate with marzipan carrots if using.