Gluten free spiced moist carrot cake

For the Topping

• 45g Brown rice flour, sifted

• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar

• 3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

• Pinch of sea salt

• 2 Tablespoons shelled hemp seeds

• 1 Tablespoon finely ground flax seed

• 1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds

Ingredients

Time to Prepare & bake: 1 hour Makes: 14 sensible portions

• 225g Brown Rice Flour

• 30g Gluten free ground oats

• 1 teaspoon of ground allspice

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• Large pinch of pink himalayan salt

• 180g carrots, coarsely grated

• 225 runny honey

• 60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled a little

• 225g Greek-style natural yogurt

• 1 Banana

• 40g Walnuts

• 40g Sultanas

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This deliciously moist Carrot cake is definitely one of my absolute favourite recipes & is delicately laced with an autumnal blend of spices.

This is a divinely scrumptious moist carrot cake. The crumble topping adds maximum taste, comfort & pleasure & is gluten &  egg free.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease & flour a 22cm springform cake tin.

2. Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the grated carrots. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, butter, yogurt and egg. Beat well with an electric hand mixer until thoroughly combined and gently fold this wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Scrape into the cake tin and level the top with the back of a spoon or a palette knife.

3. To make the crumble topping, put the flour & coconut sugar in a medium bowl. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the salt, & seeds along with the ground flax seeds, mix, then sprinkle the mixture, until the top is golden & you start to smell a nutty aroma.

4. Remove from the oven & leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to completely cool.

Benefits

This is a healthy version of the classic carrot cake.

The spices & cinnamon help add lovely flavor & balance our blood sugar levels.

Coconut sugar is the boiled and dehydrated sap of the coconut palm & is a more natural option & therefore it offers more vitamins and minerals than white table sugar. It contains trace amounts of vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and copper. Coconut sugar also provides small amounts of phytonutrients, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanidin, and antioxidants. You'll also find the B vitamin inositol, often used as a mood booster, in coconut sugar.

The banana has been used to replace an egg because they are rich in pectin & bind all the ingredients together along with adding a hint of fruitiness. They provide protection from free radicals & chronic diseases & help regulate blood sugar levels along with helping with the production of white blood cells, all due to their high levels of B6.

The hemp seeds are a superfood & along with the ground flax seeds offer a balanced ratio of omega 3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamin A, E & D, along with many B vitamins.

They are also rich in sodium, calcium, dietary fiber & iron. Additionally they can help reduce blood cholesterol because they contain essential fatty acids which help to keep your heart healthy & reduces the workload on your heart.