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This recipe for AIP Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting comes to you from one of our very talented members in the AIP Recipe Collection Facebook Group. She’s generously offered to share her beautiful recipe with us here so the whole AIP community can enjoy it!
There’s no reason for you do feel deprived at the holidays, on your birthday, anniversary or any other celebration … AIP can be very delicious and beautiful too!
♥ Thank-You Ashley ♥
As you can see, this one’s pretty versatile … she’s created a playful cake for her AIP kiddo with a double batch of icing and a more elegant version for her hubby using a single batch of icing and simple piped stars … beautiful work!
You’ll notice that this cake calls for palm shortening … yes, I hear you … but what about the orangutan habitat!? We’re all sensitive to things like this, so simply be sure to use a product that’s sustainably sourced. I personally use Nutiva brand because they’re serious about sustainability – read more about palm oil & palm shortening here in my post – What About Palm Oil?
AIP Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting
♥ RECIPE & IMAGES BY: AIP Recipe Collection Group Member Ashley Clark ♥ No need to miss out at party time just because you're on the AIP! This cake is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries and any delicious celebration.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Tigernut Flour
- 5 Tbsp Cassava Flour
- 1/2 Cup Arrowroot Starch
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 heaping tsp Cinnamon (Saigon Cinnamon is a favorite of the recipe creator, but she notes that plain cinnamon is fine)
- 1/2 heaping tsp Ginger Powder
- 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Raw Carrots, grated
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Banana, mashed
- 1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/8 Cup Palm Shortening, melted and cooled and whisked thoroughly with 4 Tbsp of water
- 1/3 Cup Avocado Oil
- 2 tsp Agar Agar Powder + 8 Tbsp Water (makes an egg substitute) *See below for substitution*
ICING
- 1 Cup Palm Shortening
- 3 tsp Pure Organic Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Lemon, zested & juiced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease an 8x8 pan with avocado oil or other compliant fat
- Put tigernut flour in a coffee/spice grinder and grind until fine
- Add all dry ingredients (excluding Agar Agar) to a large mixing bowl
- Fold the carrots into the dry ingredients
- Mix wet ingredients (excluding the water listed with the Agar Agar) together in a medium bowl and set aside
- In a small sauce pan, heat the 8 Tbsp of water and Agar Agar over high heat, whisking continually until thickened. The mixture should be bubbling the entire time. Once thickened pour immediately into the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined (do not over mix)
- Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly
- Bake for 18 minutes and then cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 16 minutes. Toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean when cooked
- Allow to cool in the pan
- Invert to cooling rack and cool completely before frosting
Instructions for Icing:
NOTE: The icing ingredients listed above will make enough to ice one cake. If you want to pipe decorations on the cake, make an extra batch of icing for that purpose or simple pipe decorations on the bare cake - that looks pretty too.
Using a hand mixer, combine all icing ingredients together in a medium bowl and immediately ice the completely cooled cake.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Refrigerate left overs.
Agar Agar Substitution:
If you do not have agar agar you can use gelatin instead - HOWEVER, the ratios are different from what I've read (contrary to early learnings about this).
This recipe is basically calling for 2 eggs OR 2 Agar Agar eggs OR 2 gelatin eggs - so, you do you! Choose the one that's right for your stage of the AIP / diet!
How to Make A Gelatin Egg!
I have a lot of folks ask about this because they've had issues with making them. The method I always use is a success and is as follows...
1 Tbsp Gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
Add water to a small pot and sprinkle the gelatin over top.
Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes until the mixture hardens somewhat.
Place the post on a burner set to low heat for 1-2 minutes until the gelatin starts to melt. Be careful not to burn it! I usually stand by and start immediately whisking it.
Remove the pot from the heat and vigorously whisk until the mixture becomes frothy.
FOR THIS RECIPE - use 2 Tbsp Gelatin and 1/2 Cup Water to = 2 Gelatin Eggs