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
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Line an 8x8 inch cake pan with wax paper. Grease the wax paper with the vegetable oil.
- Grate the carrots finely in a food processor fitted with a fine grating attachment.
- 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.
- With a rubber spatula, fold the orange zest, vanilla, carrots and almond flour into the mixture. Combine well.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the mixer bowl and the balloon and beat the egg whites until stiff.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
