Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Ingredients

FOR CAKE:

• 120 ml vegetable oil, plus more for pans
• 300 g almond flour, plus more for pans
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 5 large eggs
• 330 g packed light brown sugar 
• 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded 
• 50 g toasted shredded unsweetened coconut
• 65 g toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 115 g drained and chopped canned pineapple

FOR FROSTING:

• 225 g cream cheese, softened 
• 95 g butter, softened
• 450 g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160ºC fan) and line two 20cm cake pans with parchment paper. Grease sides of pan with vegetable oil and dust with almond flour to coat. Tap out excess flour.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, cloves, nutmeg, and bicarbonate of soda.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat until doubled in volume, and mixture trails off the beaters in ribbons, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in ginger and vanilla until combined.
4. In another medium bowl, combine vegetable oil with carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple.
5. Add half the dry ingredients into the bowl with the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Next, add 1/2 the carrot mixture and beat until just combined. Repeat once more until all ingredients are combined.
6. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Let cakes cool 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add icing sugar 125g at a time and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla and salt.
9. Frost cake: Place first cake on serving plate. Spread some frosting evenly on top, then top with the second cake. Spread with more cup frosting, then frost sides. Garnish with walnuts and serve.