Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Low GI, Omea-3...Carrot Cake.

This was a tricky recipe to develop, but one that works. The oil makes it dairy-free, and when combined with the eggs make the recipe very high in Omega-3 fats. The choice of sugar and sweeteners mean that it is low-GI and then there is the addition of gluten-free flour. It is a cake for everyone! 

 I have used omega-3 eggs as these appear to arthritis friendly but because the mixture makes around 16-20 servings, you are only eating around 1/6 of an egg in each piece of cake, so ‘normal’ eggs may be fine depending on your tolerance to eggs. 

Ingredients:

• 90g light Muscavado sugar
• 40ml raw honey
• 20ml black strap molasses
• 150ml flaxseed oil (this can be expensive so you can use a mix of olive oil and flax)
• 3 Omega-3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 210g grated carrots (about 5 medium)
• 100g raisins
• grated zest of 1 large orange
• 160g gluten-free flour (can be tapioca, rice or a blend)
• 1 ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ cream of tartar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg (optional, but freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment, double lining the base. I love to use silicone moulds which don’t need lining at all!

Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, then pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon and stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and spices, then sift into the bowl (sifting will ensure that the raising agents are evenly mixed throughout the flour). Lightly mix all the ingredients until all the flour is incorporated and the mixture is almost runny. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. I test cakes my inserting a skewer in to the middle for just a few seconds, if it comes out clean then the cake is cooked throughout.

Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can also freeze the cake at this point.

This recipe can be adapted to make other versions such as:

·         - apple and parsnip

·         - courgette

·         - sweet potato 

Let me know of any other variations I could try and please give them a go and let me know how they turn out!

-    

    - Emma