Carrot cake

Leave off the cream cheese for a simple loaf rather than a cake

There’s nothing more homely than a carrot cake. You can swap half the carrot for courgette if you want to add some more greens into your life. And leave off the cream cheese for a simple loaf rather than a cake.

Serves 6-8

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 35-40 minutes

150g gluten-free plain flour (if you want to use plain wheat or spelt flour, the recipe works the same; just omit the xanthan gum and use 20g more of the plain wheat flour)

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to sprinkle

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

100g dates

2 eggs

180g butter or coconut oil

1 apple, grated

180g carrots (about 3), grated

FROSTING

100g cream cheese

1 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6 and line a 20cm loaf tin.

In a bowl, add the flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix to completely incorporate.

In a food processor, blend the dates with the eggs. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the dates and mix into whisked eggs.

Melt the butter or coconut oil, add the apple and carrot then stir.

Mix the apple and carrot into the date and egg mixture.

Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Pour into the loaf tin and pop into the oven for 35-40 minutes.