Everyone loves carrot cake!

I’d been asked to make a “normal” carrot cake by my family so I decided to try to do the dirty on them and see if I could create a carrot cake that tasted like the full fat, full sugar, dairy-filled version but didn’t have any of that stuff in it. So  I came up with this dairy free, low gluten version using unrefined sugar and they didn’t even notice! In fact they said it was the best carrot cake they’d tasted – I almost didn’t have the heart to let them know it was a healthy version 😉

The apple puree as an egg substitute keeps this cake super moist. You can buy the pureed apple but it’s so easy to make I wouldn’t bother – just peel, core and slice some bramley apples and whack them in the microwave with a spoonful of water and blitz until soft 🙂 This recipe’s been featured on www.pureformfitnesskitchen.com 🙂

sticky, moist and simply delicious 🙂

175 g Coconut palm sugar (or other raw, unrefined sugar)

175 ml Almond oil (or other neutral oil e.g. olive oil, hazelnut oil etc)

9 tbsp of Apple puree – homemade

140 g grated Carrots

100 g Raisins

grated zest of 1 large Orange

175g Spelt flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp Ground cinnamon

½ tsp Grated nutmeg (freshly grated is best)

For the frosting:

1 cup Silken tofu

2 tbsp Almond oil/coconut oil/olive oil

2 tbsp Lemon juice (to taste)

3 – 4 tbsp Maple syrup or Agave nectar (to taste)

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Valencia orange extract (optional – to taste)

Preheat the oven to 160 C / gas 4. Line an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment and lightly oil with almond oil.

Put the sugar, oil and apple puree into a large mixing bowl and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange zest.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and spices into the bowl and gently mix all the ingredients together. The mixture will be fairly runny. Pour this into the tin and bake for 40 – 45 mins, until it feels firm and springs back when you press it in the middle, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn it out and cool on a rack. This cake can be frozen at his point, or go on and frost it and eat it now!

For the frosting – blend all the ingredients together. Adjust maple syrup, lemon and orange extract to taste. If you find it is not sweet enough add 1 tbsp of unrefined golden icing sugar. Once blended spread on to the cooled cake and enjoy! 🙂