Light Lemon Fruitcake with Almonds and Vanilla Mascarpone Icing

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This delicious soft and fluffy treat is another cake I made for Charlotte to take into the hospital. Like the Banana Cake with Lemon Icing, it is all made in one bowl and uses mincemeat from Christmas. Not only is this a wonderful way of using up festive ingredients, the result is a delicious lightly spiced, moist lemon cake dotted with dried fruit. The icing on the cake, quite literally, is a luscious, creamy mascarpone frosting.

The recipe is based on my Classic Sponge Cake/Pudding – Core Recipe. You simply add mincemeat, vanilla extract and some additional ground almonds to balance the extra moisture the mincemeat brings and to add flavour. All mixed in one bowl in less than a minute, it could not get any easier.

How to make Light Lemon Fruitcake with Almonds and Vanilla Mascarpone Icing

Line the baking tin:

In order to guarantee soft and fluffy cakes, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger, the depth of your cake batter will be less and the cake will cook more quickly. Equally if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and cook more slowly.

1. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
2. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
3. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

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Collect all your ingredients for the cake together:

• unsalted butter
• caster sugar
• eggs
• plain flour
• ground almonds
• baking powder
• fine salt
• milk
• vanilla extract
• lemon zest
• mincemeat

How to make the cake:

NB It is important to make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat easily with the other ingredients.

1. Measure all the ingredients, apart from the mincemeat, into the mixing bowl. I place my mixing bowl on top my scales and weigh everything in directly.
2. Use an electric whisk to beat until combined. This should take less than a minute.
3. Add the mincemeat and fold in – do not over mix at this stage. All done.
4. Tip into your lined baking tin and level the surface, ensuring the cake goes into all the corners.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes until cooked.
6. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then, using the greaseproof paper over-hang, transfer to a cooling rack.

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Make the Vanilla Mascarpone Frosting

When the cake has cooled completely, make the frosting.

Collect all your frosting ingredients together:

First, collect all your ingredients together:

• unsalted butter (make sure it is at room temperature)
• mascarpone cheese
• icing sugar
• vanilla extract
• fine salt

Make the frosting:

1. Put the butter into the bowl of your electric whisk and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add half the icing sugar, fold in and then beat well.
3. Add the remaining icing sugar with the milk and vanilla extract, fold in and whisk until light and fluffy.
4. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat again.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more vanilla and/or salt if necessary.

NB I always fold the icing sugar in with a spoon before whisking – this will help to stop the icing sugar clouding up and making a mess of your kitchen!

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Frost the cake and cut into squares:

1. Scrape the frosting onto the cake
2. Spread evenly over the surface and make a swirly pattern with a knife or spoon
3. Slice into 9, 12 or 16 cake bars.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.