Healthy carrot cake (gluten and dairy free)

Who loves carrot cake?

It is my 3 year’s old favourite. It was her 3rd birthday yesterday so I baked one especially for her:)

This cake makes a perfect replacement for a high sugar shop bought one. It is free from gluten and dairy (the frosting was not dairy free though, just the cake). No refined oil. No added sugar, sweetened with maple syrup. And what is the most important it is very easy to make. It contains a good source of protein (eggs, almonds, nuts, rice flour), lots of fibre (carrots, almonds, rice flour) and some veg!

It makes a perfect pick me up if you crave something sweet but would like a healthier alternative. Pregnancy and PMS cravings I hear you:)

Ingredients:

200 g carrots (peeled and grated)

100 g baked pumpkin (mashed to a puree)

150 g of rice flour

50 g of each ground almonds, cashew nuts and desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp baking powder (gluten-free) + 1/2 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

125 ml of each maple syrup and coconut oil

Method:

Put grated carrot and pureed pumpkin in a bowl, add one egg and mix with a spoon. Set aside.

In another bowl mix rice flour with ground almonds, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt. Add chopped nuts and coconut, mix well and set aside.

Beat 2 remaining eggs on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture triples in volume. Now, gradually pour maple syrup and continue beating. Then gradually add the melted and cooled coconut oil and keep beating for another 2 minutes. Now add the carrot and pumpkin to your egg mixture and stir gently with a spoon, add your dry ingredients and gently mix everything until well combined (do not over mix).

Pour the cake into a greased round cake tin (21cm) and bake at 180C for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

If you tolerate dairy the frosting was made of cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. Simply whisk both (approx 200 grams) with 3 table spoons of maple syrup.