By Diana Earnshaw
I am not big on cakes, but I do love a decent carrot cake! Making it this way, really ups the nutritional value, so give it a go and don’t feel guilty if you decide to make a decent slice your lunch! Sorry it’s in cup measures but conversions available online. Thanks to 80/20 Nutrition for the basis of this recipe.
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups ground almonds
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup organic pitted dates
1/4 cup coconut sugar, or a few extra dates
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 good quality eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup of broken walnuts
Icing (or choose another topping)
350g cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup/raw honey
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC
2. Prepare a 20cm loose based baking tin with baking parchment.
3. Using a food processor shred enough carrots to make 2 cups.
4. Remove the carrots and change the blade to an S blade.
5. Blend together the dates, ground almonds, coconut sugar, spices and bicarb just for a few seconds until the dates are chopped and it resembles a flour.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, blitz for a few seconds until everything is mixed together (don’t over mix).
7. Stir in the nuts and transfer the batter to the baking tin.
8. Bake for 1 hour, check that a wooden toothpick comes out clean to ensure it is cooked.
9. Leave to cool.
10. In a bowl, mix together the icing ingredients and leave to stand until the cake is cooled.
11. Once cooled, slice the cake length ways in half (it may seem slightly under cooked, this is the way it should be for a moist, slightly soggy carrot cake).
12. Use under half of the icing in the middle and roughly spread it.
13. Place the other cake on top and cover the top with the remaining icing.