Loubie Loup

Paleo Coconut and Carrot Cake

In my GCSE year, I studied food technology where by myself and my class mates would find our favourite recipes to cook, explore food, and learn about the science behind it. My friend Emily decided, for her final cooking practical, that she would make a carrot and coconut cake; and oh my was it scrummy! She later gave me the recipe and I made it a few times since, sharing it with another few who asked. Seven years later, and I have (annoyingly) misplaced the well-used scrap of paper that read the recipe to Emily's carrot and coconut cake (DANG)!! So... using my foggy memory, my interest in paleo food and a little research into Paleo baking, I have attempted to recreate this little gem; I substituted flour for coconut flour, sugar for honey, and butter for coconut oil. PALEO here we come!
The coconut ingredients in the cake keep the whole thing completely moist, while the raisins and the walnuts give it a little bit of texture.

I think I have succeeded in recreating it? ....... Well you can judge that after making it yourselves....

For the icing, I used Greek yoghurt and for some Paleo followers, they would argue that this is not part of the diet. You can decide weather you want to add this or not, and by all means make a different icing!! The one I have put here is only a suggestion!!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 medium carrots, grated

4 eggs, beaten until they are well scrambled

1/4 coconut flour

1/2 desicated coconut

1/4 linseeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tsp cinnamon

1 heaped tsp baking powder

Icing: (optional)

2 tbsp fat free greek yoghurt

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

Toasted coconut flakes

Directions:

Set oven to 180 degrees. Line a medium sized tin loaf with baking parchment, and grease to make sure nothing sticks.

Wash, peel and grate your carrots. Set aside.

In a bowl, melt coconut oil so it is liquid, and beat well with the honey.

Add your beaten eggs, and sift in your coconut flour over the top (this is to make sure there are no lumps!).

Beat well. You will be able to see the coconut flour expand and thicken the batter. Make sure there are no lumps! Add your grated carrot, your linseeds, raisins, chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut and baking powder. Beat well until all the ingredients are mixed well.

Tip mixture into your prepared cake tin and set in the oven.

Bake for about 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Equally you can make the mixture into muffins, but keep in mind it will probably take a shorter time to bake!

Once cooked, take it out and set it onto a wire rack to cool.

The Icing is optional, but I think it adds something a little extra to the flavour... plus it looks pretty too! To make the icing, measure out all of your ingredients into a bowl.

Beat well. It should look something like this....

In a small frying pan, tip out a large handful of coconut flakes and put them into the pan dry. On a low heat, toast the flakes until golden brown. Keep your eye on them, they will start to brown very quickly!