After reopening last year March, Piedmont hotel Nordelaia has become one of the region’s most beloved boutique properties, and the cuisine plays an integral role in its favour among guests. Helmed by Executive Chef Charles Pearce, the culinary offering presents a taste of top-quality Piedmontese ingredients, prepared with flair and finesse. Here, Charles gives a recipe for one of his desserts offering a stunning spin on the classic carrot cake.
For the Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 200g grated carrots
- 3 eggs
- 150g 00 flour
- 175g muscovado sugar
- 5g baking powder
- 4g cinnamon
- 2g powdered ginger
- 175g extra virgin olive oil
- good pinch of salt
Method
- In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, add the sugar and oil and whisk to create an emulsion. Add the eggs and whisk to emulsify.
- Sieve the dried ingredients together and then add to the wet mixture, whisking until just combined. Finally, add the grated carrots.
- Cook the cake at 155°C in a greased pan for 35 minutes and leave to cool.
For the Mascarpone Cremeux
Ingredients
- 100g milk
- 87g cream
- 10g glucose
- 10g grated orange zest
- 6g gelatine leaves soaked in ice water
- 215g good-quality white chocolate
- 250g mascarpone at room temperature
Method
- Melt the white chocolate over a bain-marie and set aside.
- Add the milk, cream, glucose and orange zest to a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Melt in the gelatine, making sure it’s all incorporated.
- At this point, pour over the mascarpone cheese and blend with a hand blender.
- Once smooth, pour over the melted white chocolate and emulsify with the hand blender.
- Pour into a shallow container and let it set in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
- Once cooled, add the mix to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on high until light and fluffy.
- Place it into a piping bag with a round nozzle and keep in the fridge.
For the Walnute Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 250g roasted walnut butter
- 20g corn flour
- 10g ice cream stabilizer
- 10g salt
- 650g water
- 100g walnut oil
Method
- Mix the walnut butter and oil together with a whisk and set aside.
- Bring the water, salt, corn flour and stabilizer to a boil, take off from the heat and blend in, using a hand blender, the walnut butter and oil.
- Once emulsified, keep in the fridge and bring to a temperature of 4°C.
- Once cooled, churn in an ice cream machine or pacojet if available. Keep in the freezer.
For the Cardamom Crumble
Ingredients
- 200g cold butter
- 100g brown sugar
- 3g Maldon salt
- 2 grated cardamom pods
- 250g 00 flour
Method
- Mix all the ingredients using a food processor until a shaggy pastry has formed.
- Put onto a lined oven tray and cook at 150°C until crisp.
- Leave to cool.
To Plate
Method
- Square off the carrot cake and cut it into small cubes.
- Arrange 5 cubes of cake in a small bowl, then pipe 5 to 7 dots of the mascarpone cremeux around it.
- Garnish with 5 to 7 pieces of the cardamom crumble and place a quenelle of the walnut ice cream in the centre.
- Finish off the plating with micro-coriander, carrot powder, thin pieces of raw carrot and a sheet of carrot gel (optional).
Recipe courtesy of Charles Pearce, Executive Chef of Nordelaia in Piedmont
Nordelaia
14-16 Via Piazze
Cremolino
15010
Piedmont
Italy
Web: nordelaia.com
Bookings: lorto.nordelaia.com/reservation
Tel: 0143 038045
Email: info@nordelaia.com
Instagram: @nordelaia
