Carrot Cake Loaf
Carrot cake has always a favourite of mine, but traditional carrot cake recipes are usually full of oil and packed full of refined sugar.
This delicious gluten-free loaf, however, is packed full of goodness and flavor, with zero vegetable oil or refined sweetener!
I've made this for friends and it has always got the thumbs up! You can even toast it for breakfast...it's that good!
The same mixture can be made into a cake or cupcakes and you can jazz it up by making a creamy cashew frosting as well.
Whoever said healthy eating was boring?
Makes: 1 loaf
Time: 20 mins to make, 1 hour 15 mins bake time
Ingredients:
6 medjool dates, soaked
1 1/4 cups coconut milk (or milk of choice)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups oat flour (oats ground into flour)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 medium carrots, grated
1/2 cup golden sultanas (can use raisins or cranberries)
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (and more for topping)
Directions:
Place dates, coconut milk and banana in a blender or food processor and leave for 15 minutes for dates to soften.
Line a medium sized loaf tin with baking paper (or a muffin pan with liners) and preheat oven to 180 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine oat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
Whizz the wet ingredients in your blender until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Gently fold in the grated carrot, sultanas and walnuts.
Spoon the mixture into your loaf tin and flatten the top with a spatula.
Sprinkle the top with another handful of walnuts and place in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes*, or until a skewer comes out dry.
Cool completely before slicing and enjoying as it is, or ice your loaf or cupcakes using a cashew nut or coconut cream frosting.
*if making cupcakes the time with be 40-45 minutes.
