How to make a Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Use a heart shaped tin with a loose bottom and line with a reusable liner cut to shape or some baking parchment.

Turn oven on 180C, 160C fan, 360F or gas number 4.

Cook 3 medium carrots until they are soft.

In a bowl add 270g of ground almonds, 150g of tapioca flour, 170g of coconut sugar, or regular sugar, 5 tablespoons of cinnamon or to taste, 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of allspice, 40g of coconut flakes, 70g of ground or chopped pecans. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Strain a small tin of pineapple rings or chunks - save the juice. mash pineapple in food processor or by hand.

Melt the coconut oil, by putting a jar of coconut oil in a pan of cold water and bringing to a slow simmer until it is melted.

Add cooked carrots to pineapple along with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence. Add quarter a cup of melted coconut oil. Mix all the wet ingredients thoroughly.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add a quarter of a cup of pineapple juice (add water if necessary) and mix thoroughly.

Pour into tin.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave on a rack to cool.

Remove from tin when cool enough to handle.

Make a “buttercream” using 200g of icing sugar (make sure it’s vegan) 50g of vegan spread (like vitalite) and 50g of vegan fat, like Trex.

cover cake with “buttercream” and decorate with grated carrots and pecans.