Carrot Cake with Fruit and Nuts (Almond Flour)

Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - this lovely grain free cake is made with almond flour so it's tender and moist, but don't worry, all the goodies you love in a classic carrot cake recipe are in there. This is a glorious, craggy, carrot-y, fruit-y, carrot cake. The cake is not excessively sweet, which makes it the ideal base for those rich decadent waves of cream cheese frosting. You don't have to be on a gluten free diet to appreciate this cake. The absence of regular flour (and gluten) results in a melt in your mouth texture. As a bonus the layers stay nice and flat on top when they bake, which makes for a pretty cake and easy frosting. But, the absolute best thing about this sugar-free (guilt-free) cake, is that it is a protein BOMB!

Wet:
7 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular)
¾ cup raw coconut sugar
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Dry:
4½ cups almond flour
2 tsp. sea salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves

Fruit and Nut:
4 cups carrots, grated, packed
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins, preferably Thompson seedless, soaked in hot water till plump
1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
1 cup pineapple, finely chopped and drained
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ sticks butter, at room temperature
3½ cups monk fruit (erythritol), powdered
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:
¼ cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted
¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Prepare two 9" cake pans by buttering the sides and placing a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of each tin.

For the Wet Ingredients:
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the monk fruit and sugar for several minutes on medium-high speed until very light and the mixture holds a thin ribbon when drizzled. This will take about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

For the Dry Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.

For the Fruit and Nut Mixture:
In another bowl, mix together the shredded carrot, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, chopped pineapple, plumped raisins and vegetable oil.

For the Cake Batter:
Add part of the almond flour mixture to the eggs, and alternate with the carrot mixture, mixing on low to incorporate into the eggs with each addition.

Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans, and bake for about 35-45 minutes.

The carrot cakes should be set in the middle, and spring back when poked gently. They will be a deep colour, but if they start to get too brown on top while baking, place a small sheet of foil over them.

Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before carefully removing from the cake pans, and allow to cool fully on a baking rack.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the butter until very smooth. Add the powdered sugar about a half cup or a cup at a time, and beat for a few minutes until fully incorporated and smooth.

Frost the cake by placing one of the carrot cake layers on a flat surface. Spread about ½ of the frosting in a thick layer over the cake, allowing it to go slightly over the edge. Place the second cake layer on top, and spread the rest of the frosting in a thick layer of the top.

With an offset spatula, or a board scraper, carefully spread the excess frosting in between the two layers around the outside of the cake for a "naked" effect. For a swoopy look on top of the cake, use the back of a large metal spoon to make small, curling motions. Wipe the excess frosting off the spoon between each swipe.

Makes 12 servings.