Carrot Cake

Carrot Almond Cake

Makes 8-12 servings.

Nutritious, moist, easy to make and gluten free, this light and delicious cake keeps well refrigerated or even frozen. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ½ pound carrots, peeled, finely grated
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature (See Note)
  • 2/3 cup sugar 
  • Grated zest of one orange
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour (See Note)

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Line an 8x8 inch cake pan with wax paper. Grease the wax paper with the vegetable oil.
  3. Grate the carrots finely in a food processor fitted with a fine grating attachment.
  4. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the balloon whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes, gradually adding the sugar. The mixture will be very pale and thick. 
  5. With a rubber spatula, fold the orange zest, vanilla, carrots and almond flour into the mixture. Combine well.
  6. Wash and thoroughly dry the mixer bowl and the balloon and beat the egg whites until stiff.
  7. With a rubber spatula fold half of the egg whites into carrot mixture than reverse the process pouring the carrot mixture over the egg whites. Gradually fold the mixture together, making a motion like a figure 8 until all the whites have disappeared.  
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is lightly soft to the touch.
  9. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Invert the pan unto a board and remove the wax paper. Cut the cake into squares of your choice.

NOTE:

Separate the eggs while they are cold so that the yolks remain whole. It is best to beat egg whites at room temperature, as they can absorb more air; this makes the dish lighter.

I use Bob’s, Red Mill ground almond  flour. It is simply blanched almonds ground to a flour consistency. Almond meal flour is readily available in health food stores and many supermarkets.