Craving a slice of carrot cake without the guilt?! Well, I’ve got you covered. This carrot cake bares it all. It doesn’t hide behind a heavy cream cheese icing, rather it lets the ingredients speak for themselves.
My Guilt-Free Carrot Cake is incredibly flavourful, moist and too delicious for words! The carrots, almonds, orange and lemon zest, rum and spices add sweetness, brightness and warmth to this confectionary treat. All the ingredients come together to create a tender, melt in your mouth and satisfying spoonful! And, did I mention, it’s easy to make, comes together quickly and is gluten free! What could be better?!
Let them eat cake! Cake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert or even as a snack. Enjoy it on its own or prettify it by dusting it with icing sugar and garnishing it with orange slices and mint leaves. This simple showstopper is sure to wow the crowd! So, what are you waiting for? Grab a spoon and come and cook with me! Happy Baking!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 - 55 minutes
Total Time: 60 - 65 minutes
Serves: 8 - 12
Ingredients:
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp light rum (See Notes below)
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
Pinch of nutmeg
2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups almond flour
3 cups carrots, grated
1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
1 Tbsp icing sugar, as garnish
Orange slices and mint leaves, as garnish
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with 1/2 Tbsp butter. Set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and salt. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the egg whites over high speed for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
To another large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and mix on high speed for 1 minute or until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy. Then, add the rum, orange and lemon zest, nutmeg, flour and baking powder and mix on low speed until combined. Then, using a large spoon or spatula, mix in the almond flour and carrots until fully incorporated.
Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the cake batter and mix well. This will loosen and lighten the batter and ensure that the remaining egg whites do not deflate when folded in.
In 2 instalments, gently fold in the remaining egg whites using a spatula. Your cake batter will be ready to go when you no longer see streaks of egg whites.
Pour the cake batter into the springform pan, levelling out the top with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 50 - 55 minutes or until amber in colour and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it completely cool in the springform pan.
To remove the cake from the springform pan, loosen the edges of the cake by running a table knife around the inside of the baking pan. Remove the parchment paper and transfer the cake to a serving platter.
Garnish with a dusting of icing sugar, orange slices and a few mint leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Choosing a Rum: I recommend using a light rum in this recipe given its milder taste. A darker rum has a bolder flavour profile and will mask the delicate flavours of the carrots, almonds and citrus.