Carrot & Orange Cake

We made this cake for our cafe last weekend and by 11am on Saturday morning we were almost sold out! If you have carrots growing in your vegetable patch right now, or perhaps followed our Apple Cider Vinegar recipe in the autumn and still have some in your cupboard, Apple Cider Vinegar is the perfect recipe in which to use them. The cake is sweetened only with maple syrup and the ACV gives it a deliciously sharp citrus tang.

Ingredients

130g ground almonds

120g teff flour

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

3 eggs

2 oranges, zest plus 1 juiced

4 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra for decoration

120g butter, melted

200g (approx 2 large) carrots grated

1 apple, cored and grated

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Icing

200g cream cheese

100g natural yoghurt

3 tbsp honey

1 orange zested

A handful of walnuts to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 C.

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground almonds, flour, spices, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt.

Beat the eggs together in small bowl and stir in the orange juice, zest, maple syrup and melted butter until mixed well.

Add this into the flour mixture and carefully combine until just mixed, then add the grated carrots and apple, as well as apple cider vinegar, folding in until combined.

Scrape the batter into a lined 8” cake tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cracking slightly. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Whip the frosting ingredients together with a handheld whisk and leave in the fridge until cake is cool enough to ice.

Ice and decorate with walnut pieces and drizzle with more maple syrup if you want.