Carrot and Almond Cake

The carrot and almond cake is a delicious alternative to the classic carrot cake, with a touch of Mediterranean flavor thanks to the almonds. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

• 200 g carrots (about 2-3 medium carrots)
• 150 g blanched almonds
• 100 g 00 flour
• 100 g sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 packet baking powder
• The grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter and flour or line with parchment paper a cake pan about 22 cm in diameter.
2. Clean and grate the carrots. Set them aside.
3. Finely chop the almonds in the food processor until you get a flour that is not too fine, to maintain some bite.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until you get a frothy and light mixture.
5. Add the sifted flour with the baking powder in small doses, then the chopped almonds, the grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt, mixing gently with a bottom-to-top motion.
6. Add the grated carrots to the batter and mix until evenly distributed.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
9. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar to taste.

If you want to add a personal touch and enrich your cake, you can add chocolate chips or ground cinnamon to the batter for a more spiced aroma.

Fun Fact

Carrot cake is a fairly common dessert in Anglo-Saxon countries, where it is known as “carrot cake”. Its version with almonds, on the other hand, is a more Mediterranean variation that pairs the sweetness of carrots with the nutty flavor of almonds, creating a harmonious and satisfying mix on the palate.