Gluten-free Carrot Cake with orange and cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

• 100g gluten-free flour
• 100g almond meal
• 150g brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• Zest of 1 orange
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 ml vegetable oil
• 200g carrot, grated (4–5 medium carrots)
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped

Frosting (optional)

• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 150g icing sugar
• 200g full-fat cream cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan).
2. Grease and line a loaf tin.
3. Use two large bowls – one for dry ingredients and one for wet.
4. In the first bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, almond meal, brown sugar, baking powder, mixed spice, orange zest and salt.
5. In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract and vegetable oil.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
7. Stir in the grated carrot and walnuts.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
9. While the cake bakes, beat the frosting ingredients until smooth, then refrigerate.
10. Let the cake cool in the tin before turning it out.
11. Cover with frosting and decorate with extra walnuts or orange zest if desired.