Swiss Carrot Cake (Aargauer Rüeblitorte)

Preheat the oven to 180°C on top-and-bottom heat. For the batter, separate the egg yolks from the whites; finely grate the carrots, zest two lemons, and squeeze 2 tbsp of juice from one of them.

Beat the egg yolks with 130 g sugar and the lemon zest for about 10–15 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Add the carrots, lemon juice, and ground almonds, and stir to combine.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft foam, gradually add the remaining 50 g sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, mix the wheat starch, baking powder, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Sift the dry mixture into the carrot batter, then gently fold in the egg whites with a spatula in two or three additions, being careful not to knock out the air.

Transfer the batter to a round 24–26 cm springform pan and bake in the lower half of the oven for 50–60 minutes. Check for doneness with a wooden skewer: it should come out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it.

Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

For the topping, warm the apricot jam until runny and brush a thin layer over the cooled cake. Let the surface set for 10 minutes.

Mix the powdered sugar with the juice of the second lemon to make a thick, smooth icing, pour it over the cake, and spread it evenly across the top. Let the icing set for about 20 minutes before slicing.