Delicious Paleo Carrot Cake with Almond flour

reasons to love this paleo carrot cake

• a great alternative - it is a great alternative, especially for those on a special diet. This gluten-free carrot cake recipe uses blanched almond flour and almond meal instead of regular wheat flour making it great for those with gluten sensitivities. It is also dairy-free and wheat-free.
• super moist - the grated carrots, orange juice, and coconut oil make this cake super juicy.
• spice - the spices make the carrot cake flavourful, and the walnuts add a wonderful crunch.

ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe. This is a summary, a detailed and printable recipe card has been provided at the bottom of this page.

• grated carrots.
• pure melted coconut oil - or use extra virgin olive oil.
• coconut cream - scoop out the top creamy part from a can of coconut milk (not the boxed kind).
• almond milk - or your preferred choice of plant milk, such as coconut milk.
• blanched almond flour.
• some almond meal.
• coconut sugar.
• eggs (separated into egg white and yolk).
• spices and condiments - nutmeg, cardamon, ground ginger and cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
• leavening agents - baking powder and baking soda.
• nuts - some cashews, soaked for at least four hours. You will also require some chopped walnuts, to fold into the batter and to garnish.
• apple cider vinegar.
• other - grated rind of half of an orange and some orange juice.

how to make it

Making this cake basically involves two steps namely; making the dairy-free frosting and preparing the gluten-free cake.

Step 1: Start by making the dairy-free coconut cream cheese frosting.

• Grate the rind of the entire orange then set it aside. Scoop out the coconut cream from the can (only the creamy part, you can preserve the water for use in other recipes). Add the coconut cream to a powerful food processor. To it add the soaked cashews (with the water drained off), cinnamon, coconut sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. Process until smooth and creamy. Add half of your grated orange rind (leave the other half for the cake batter), combine then transfer to an air-tight container and keep in the fridge so it sets.

Step 2: Prepare the cake

1. Grease the bottom and sides of two 18cm cake tins (7-inch cake tins) or line them with parchment paper.Cut the orange into half and press the juice of one half, making sure to get rid of all seeds.

2. Preheat the oven and combine the wet ingredients. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until medium peaks form. Add the almond milk, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut oil, grated carrots, the rest of the grated orange rind, and the juice of half an orange. Whisk together. Carefully add the egg yolks to the bowl with the liquid mixture and whisk on medium.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
4. Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then combine. Fold in the chopped walnuts except for 2 tablespoons then mix.
5. Bake. Divide the mixture into halves, transfer to two baking tins, and bake until done.
6. Frost the cake. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely, before removing it from the tin. Once cool, spread the cooled frosting on one cake. Place the other cake on top, then layer with some more frosting. You can also spread the paleo frosting on the sides of the cake if you prefer.
7. Garnish. Top with some walnuts, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can also garnish it with some grated carrots, if you prefer.

refregeration and freezing

This cake tastes even better one day after baking as this allows the flavors to set in. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be frozen for up to 4 months. Just be sure to keep it in a suitable airtight container.