Dessert

Carrot and coconut cake

Name: Carrot and coconut cake
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 120ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil, plus extra to grease; 3 eggs, separated; 150g (3/4 cup) soft light brown sugar; 100g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 100g desiccated coconut; 200g coarsely grated carrot (about 3 large carrots); Grated zest of 1/2 orange; 15g coconut flakes; 250g dairy-free coconut milk yoghurt; 40.00 ml icing sugar; 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

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by Eleanor Maidment

Jul 26, 2019

“This is a very simple dairy-free carrot cake with the addition of coconut (desiccated inside, flakes on top). You can find really good dairy-free coconut milk yoghurts in many supermarkets now and they make an easy alternative to traditional cream cheese frosting, plus they aren’t nearly as sweet." – Eleanor Maidment. This is an edited extract from California Living + Eating by Eleanor Maidment, published by Hardie Grant Books (RRP $45). Photography by Nassima Rothacker.

120ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil, plus extra to grease
3 eggs, separated
150g (3/4 cup) soft light brown sugar
100g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
100g desiccated coconut
200g coarsely grated carrot (about 3 large carrots)
Grated zest of 1/2 orange

Topping

15g coconut flakes
250g dairy-free coconut milk yoghurt
2 tbs icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

1.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160°C. Grease a 900g loaf pan and line it with baking paper.
2.

Place the egg whites in one mixing bowl and the yolks in another. Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then set aside.
3.

Add the sugar to the mixing bowl with the egg yolks and whisk together with the beaters (there’s no need to clean them after the whisking the egg whites).
4.

Slowly whisk in the oil, then the flour, spices, bicarb and salt.
5.

Use a spatula or large spoon to fold in the coconut, grated carrot and orange zest, then fold through the egg whites until everything is combined. Tip into the loaf pan, then bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
6.

For the topping, place the coconut flakes on a small roasting tray and bake for 2-3 minutes (watch them like a hawk as they can burn very quickly) until lightly golden, then set aside.
7.

Just before serving, whisk together the yoghurt, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste. Spread over the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle with the toasted coconut flakes.