If you are avoiding gluten, you don’t want to miss out on lusciousness and you don’t have to. This is a beautifully moist carrot cake and, although there is none of the traditional icing on top, you could easily add it if you like. Don’t skip the step of roasting the walnuts – of all nuts they are the ones most likely to become rancid in storage, and the process of roasting them and off rubbing the skins takes that flavour away.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (50 g) walnuts
- 1½ cups (225 g) gluten-free self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 1 red apple, grated with skin on
- 200 g carrot (about 1 large), grated with skin on if fresh
- 1 finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (55 g) sultanas
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1/3 cup firmly packed (75 g) soft brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2½ tablespoons macadamia oil
- Raw honey, for drizzling
- Thick natural probiotic yoghurt, to serve (optional)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Grease and line a 13 cm x 23 cm loaf tin with baking paper.
- Place the walnuts on a baking tray and cook for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Pour into a clean tea towel and rub off the skins while still warm. Coarsely chop and set aside.
- Sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the ginger, apple, carrot, lemon zest and sultanas.
- Place the eggs and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the speed to medium. Combine the oils in a jug and, with the motor running, add to the egg mixture in a steady stream. Fold the flour and carrot mixtures into the egg mixture until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and scatter the walnuts over the top. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and a skewer withdraws clean. Remove from the oven, drizzle with honey and stand until cool. Slice and serve with yoghurt, if desired.
