Gluten-free carrot cake with cinnamon-and-maple mascarpone frosting

Gluten-free carrot cake with cinnamon-and-maple mascarpone frosting

Ingredients 3 organic eggs 2 tspn vanilla-bean paste 150g maple syrup 50ml vegetable oil (or coconut oil) 25ml Greek yoghurt 300g ground almonds 2 tspn cinnamon 100g chopped walnuts 2 tspn baking powder 500g grated carrots (about 4 large carrots) 500g mascarpone 100g icing sugar 15ml maple syrup 3 tspn cinnamon More walnuts or pecans for decoration

Method Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and grease and line two 20cm (8in) sandwich tins with baking paper.

Combine the eggs, vanilla-bean paste, maple syrup, vegetable oil and Greek yoghurt in a bowl. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the ground almonds, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, baking powder and the grated carrots. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, making sure to switch the tins around in the oven half-way through baking.

Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and peel back the baking paper. Allow to cool completely before adding the frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the mascarpone, sifted icing sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Spread the flat side of one of the cakes with the frosting, place the flat side of the other cake on top and then spread more frosting over the top of that. Decorate with a few nuts and serve.

More ways with carrots

Curried carrot fritters Take 50g plain flour and mix it with an egg, about 100ml soda water (add a little more if needed to get it to pancake-batter consistency), 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 finely chopped red chilli and sea salt. Grate 2 medium-sized carrots into the batter and mix well. Heat oil in a pan and, using a spoon, drop balls of the mixture in and brown gently on both sides. Place on a plate covered with kitchen roll and put it into the oven to keep warm. Serve in pitta bread with salad leaves.

Granny’s chicken soup with rice Place a whole free-range chicken in a heavy-based pan and add a chopped onion, 2 large chopped carrots, 6 chopped sticks of celery (including leaves), 10 peppercorns, a bay leaf and a good pinch of salt. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a gentle boil and continue to simmer for about an hour and a half. Remove from the heat and take the chicken out. Cut the breast meat into small shreds and then return it to the pot with a good handful of chopped parsley. Add a large spoonful of cooked wholegrain rice to each soup bowl and then ladle over the hot soup. Serve immediately.

Easy spicy vegetable samosas Dice 2 large carrots, 1 large potato, 1 onion , 1 red chilli and half a butternut squash. Fry in a little olive oil until tender. Scatter over a tea- spoon each of turmeric , garam masala and curry powder. Add a handful of frozen peas and then mix well. Season to taste. Cut sheets of filo pastry into three rectangles. Spoon small mounds onto the ends of the rectangles, brush the filo with melted butter and then fold it all up into triangles. Oven bake the samosas in a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes the unhealthy version is to deep fry them until lightly browned. Serve as a delicious, warming snack.