Pistachio, Almond and Carrot Cake

Today was Mothering Sunday in the UK  and my Mummy came over for lunch and bubbles and cake! After a delicious lunch a  perfect afternoon was had. Fire roaring, five dogs snoozing and us curled up on the sofa with cups of tea and....more cake. So cosy and snugly! 

Mummy and I love carrot cake and I thought I would try and make a gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free one without losing any of the glorious moistness and flavour of a perfect carrot cake. This is packed with nuts - pistachio and almonds - coconut and carrots. It is sweetened with the seeds of one vanilla pod, a couple of dates and pure maple syrup. The texture is sticky and nutty and full of flavour. I decorated it with more sliced pistachios and dried rose petals. If you don't like the taste of rose, don't add them! The glaze added gives the nuts something to stick to and adds a nice finish to the top. Enjoy with a cup of tea or a glass of bubbles. I recommend making it a day before you want to eat it so that the flavours have time to develop and the cake becomes even better. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This is my new favourite cake to make...and eat. Just wonderful. 

You will need:

23 cm spring form cake tin, lined and lightly greased with melted coconut oil

200g ground almonds

150g pistachios, roughly chopped

100g dessicated coconut

3 large free-range organic eggs

2/3 cup (170ml) maple syrup 

1 vanilla pod 

200g carrots, peeled and roughly grated

2 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup (170ml) melted coconut oil

2 medjool dates, chopped

To decorate:

large handful of sliced pistachios

sprinkle of dried rose petals

1.5 tsp organic raw honey

1.5 tbsp coconut oil

Pre-heat your oven to 140 degrees centigrade. Prepare your tin and all the ingredients. Slice the vanilla pod lengthways and with a sharp knife scrape out all of the seeds. 

In a food processor with blade attachment, whizz up the pistachios until roughly chopped and broken up.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand-whisk, whizz up the eggs, maple syrup and the seeds from the vanilla pod until frothy. Add the almond flour, cinnamon and coconut and stir before adding the oil and mixing thoroughly again.

Add your grated carrot, pistachios and dates and mix again until fully combined. Pour into the prepared tin and pop into the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes but check after 40 minutes to make sure it is cooking evenly. You may need to turn it round or cover loosely with foil to stop it from browning too much.

When the cake is baked - it should be springy and a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean - place onto a wire rack to cool. Keep in the tin cooling for 30 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely - preferably overnight. 

To make the syrup, melt the honey and coconut oil together over a high heat and then pour over the cake. Use a pastry brush or palette knife to smooth over the cake. Scatter the sliced pistachios and rose petals. A perfect 'love cake'. 

I need another slice....NOW!

Warming Carrot and Coconut Soup

I love soup! I could eat soup every night of the week and be perfectly satisfied. There are so many flavour combinations, so many ingredients that the possibilities are almost endless. As it is nearly March and there are signs of Spring in Devon (my absolute favourite time of the year) I was inspired to make a bright and cheerful soup to warm me up on a blustery evening. School is pretty hectic as usual and with only 5 weeks of this half of term I am beginning to feel rising panic! Our year group is being moderated this year and with parents' evening next week I needed a bit of cooking-therapy. This soup was thrown together as a little trial but it came out so wonderfully well that I thought I should share. It is a Paleo friendly recipe and completely vegan, gluten free, dairy free and grain free. I hope you enjoy it!

Serves 4-6

You will need:

Blender

a little coconut oil or olive oil to fry off the vegetables

700ml -1l of home-made or good quality vegetable stock (check it has no hidden sugar, gluten etc)

1 red onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 large leeks, trimmed and cut into semi-circle coins

600g carrots, cut into coins

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (take off skin first)

1 heaped tsp turmeric

3 cardamom pods

1 cup full fat coconut milk plus a little extra to serve

handful of coriander - about 2 tbsp - roughly chopped plus extra to serve

salt and pepper 

Chop all the vegetables and prepare the stock and keep it warm. Warm the coconut oil or olive oil in a deep pan. Gently fry off the onion, garlic and leeks until soft and beginning to brown. Add the carrots and grated ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes. 

Whilst this is happening prepare the cardamom. Break open the pods, pick out the seeds and discard the cases. Grind the seeds and then add this, as well as the turmeric, to the vegetables. Add a little salt and pepper - add more after blending if needs be.

Stir the mixture until all the vegetables are coated in the spices and the aromas develop. Add the stock and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are fork tender. At this point add the coconut milk and the chopped coriander.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer back to a clean pot and warm through. Taste and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into big bowls and garnish with finely chopped coriander and a little extra coconut milk. Enjoy with a piece of my Caveman Paleo Bread. Springtime in a bowl!