Meringue-topped honey carrot cake

Honey cake with a difference. This gluten free cake has a citrus zing of lime and oranges and includes carrots to keep the cake extra moist. Golden meringue peaks elevate it to a special yom tov cake.

Serves: 10 Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS For the cake:

3 large eggs

75g honey

100g golden caster sugar 100ml light rapeseed oil/ light olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp orange blossom water 150g ground almonds

75g gluten free wholemeal flour

1 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

75g desiccated coconut

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon 200g carrots, peeled and grated

2 oranges, zest only and juice of 1

1 lime, zest and juice

100g pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Marshmallow Icing

3 egg whites 150g caster sugar ½ tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 160°C/ Fan 140°C.

Line the base and sides of a 22cm round spring form cake tin with baking parchment.

Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs, honey, sugar, oil, vanilla and orange blossom water until thick.

Stir in the ground almonds, flour, coconut and spices and mix to a smooth batter.

Finally stir in the grated carrots, orange and lime zest and chopped pistachio nuts.

Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through.

Transfer to a wire rack and while warm, poke holes in the surface with a skewer, and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the orange juice and all the lime juice.

Leave to cool.

To make the icing, put the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a clean heatproof bowl set over a pan of gentle Meringue clouds make this a glamorous teatime treat simmering water. Using a hand whisk, beat the mixture for 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Lift the bowl off the heat and use an electric whisk to beat the whites for a final 5 minutes or until stiff and shiny peaks form. Fold in the vanilla extract.

Spread the icing over the cake, then use a blow torch (or put under a grill watching carefully) to toast the icing to a light golden brown.

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