Sugar-free carrot cake

This dairy-free and sugar-free carrot cake uses natural xylitol to sweeten it and is very simple to make

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 10 mins
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 404
  • fat 28.2g
  • saturates 2.4g
  • carbs 40g
  • sugars 10.5g
  • fibre 2.2g
  • protein 4.8g
  • salt 0.5g

Ingredients

  • 100g pecans
  • 140g self-raising flour, sieved
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 140g xylitol (see tip below)
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 140ml rapeseed oil
  • 175g grated carrots
  • 100g sultanas
  • drizzle of agave syrup (optional)

Tip

Xylitol
Xylitol is a natural sweetener made from the bark of birch trees. It looks and tastes like sugar and can be used as a substitute in many recipes. It is low GI and therefore has less impact on blood sugar levels. It is available from large supermarkets and health food shops.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ Gas mark 4. Grease and line an 18cm round cake tin with baking parchment. Set aside 12 pecans and roughly chop the rest.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, xylitol and chopped pecans.

  3. In a separate bowl or jug, beat the eggs and rapeseed oil together. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir through the carrot and sultanas. Spoon into the lined tin, smooth the surface and press whole pecans to form a circle around the edge.

  4. Cook for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 mins until the top feels springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check after 50 mins, if the cake is becoming too dark, cover loosely with foil. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and allow to cool. Serve slightly warm or cold. This cake keeps for up to five days in a tin. Before serving, drizzle with agave syrup if you have a sweet tooth.

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