It’s Week Five of my ten-week Dr. Oetker #EvenBetterBaking series, and this week I have a fabulous gluten free bake for you. Carrot cake is always a winner, and these gorgeous little gluten-free loaves are filled with moist fruit, wholesome nuts and flavoured with the Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Grinder.
I’ve snapped pictures of every stage of this bake, so it’s easy to follow and should have you serving up a slice in no time.
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
- 115g Gluten Free Plain Flour (4 oz)
- Dr. Oetker Baking Powder Sachet (1 tsp)
- Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Grinder
- 10g Ground Cinnamon (2 tsp)
- 150g Light Brown Sugar (5 oz)
- 50g Dried Cranberries (2 oz)
- 50g Sultanas (2 oz)
- 50g Dried Apricots (2 oz) chopped
- 115g Mixed Nuts (4 oz) or your favourite nuts, finely chopped
- Medium Eggs x 2 beaten
- 150ml Sunflower Oil (¼ pt)
- 115g Carrots (4 oz) finely grated
To Decorate:
- Pecan Halves x 8
- Walnut halves x 8
- Dr. Oetker Gold Shimmer Spray
- 75 g Icing Sugar (3 oz)
- 2 ½ ml Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract (½ tsp)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4).
Sift the gluten free flour, Baking Powder and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Using the Vanilla Grinder, grind the Vanilla into the batter to taste (roughly 5 or 6 turns). Stir in the sugar, dried fruit and chopped nuts. Make a well in the centre. Gradually mix in the eggs and oil.
Stir in the grated carrot to form a well blended, thick batter.
Lightly grease 8 mini loaf tins and arrange on a baking tray, or use a 12 hole mini loaf tray.
Divide the mixture between the cake tins, smooth the tops and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until risen, firm to the touch and lightly golden.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate, arrange the pecan and walnut halves on a sheet of baking parchment. Shake the can of Shimmer Spray until you can hear the ball bearing, and spray over the nuts until they become golden. Leave for a few minutes to dry.
Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl.
Add the Vanilla Extract and 10-15ml (2-3 tsp) warm water to make a smooth, piping icing.
Spoon the icing into a small piping bag without a nozzle.
Put a tray underneath the wire rack of cakes. Snip off the end of the piping bag and pipe the icing back and forth across the tops of the cakes to decorate with a zig-zag pattern.
Top each with the gold pecans and walnuts and leave aside for a few minutes to allow the icing to set. Your cakes are now ready to serve and enjoy!
I promise, they’re very tasty!
And here’s the recipe in printable form. On desktop, just click the little ‘PRINT’ icon on the right, below the recipe image.
- 115g Gluten Free Plain Flour (4 oz)
- Dr. Oetker Baking Powder Sachet (1 tsp)
- Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Grinder
- 10g Ground Cinnamon (2 tsp)
- 150g Light Brown Sugar (5 oz)
- 50g Dried Cranberries (2 oz)
- 50g Sultanas (2 oz)
- 50g Dried Apricots (2 oz) chopped
- 115g Mixed Nuts (4 oz) or your favourite nuts, finely chopped
- Medium Eggs x 2 beaten
- 150ml Sunflower Oil (¼ pt)
- 115g Carrots (4 oz) finely grated
- Pecan Halves x 8-12
- Walnut halves x 8-12
- Dr. Oetker Gold Shimmer Spray
- 75g Icing Sugar (3 oz)
- 2 ½ ml Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract (½ tsp)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4).
- Sift the gluten free flour, Baking Powder and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Using the Vanilla Grinder, grind the Vanilla into the batter to taste (roughly 5 or 6 turns). Stir in the sugar, dried fruit and chopped nuts. Make a well in the centre. Gradually mix in the eggs and oil.
- Stir in the grated carrot to form a well blended, thick batter.
- Lightly grease 8 mini loaf tins and arrange on a baking tray, or use a 12 hole mini loaf tray.
- Divide the mixture between the cake tins, smooth the tops and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until risen, firm to the touch and lightly golden.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To decorate, arrange the pecan and walnut halves on a sheet of baking parchment. Shake the can of Shimmer Spray until you can hear the ball bearing, and spray over the nuts until they become golden. Leave for a few minutes to dry.
- Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl.
- Add the Vanilla Extract and 10-15ml (2-3 tsp) warm water to make a smooth, piping icing.
- Spoon the icing into a small piping bag without a nozzle.
- Put a tray underneath the wire rack of cakes. Snip off the end of the piping bag and pipe the icing back and forth across the tops of the cakes to decorate with a zig-zag pattern.
- Top each with the gold pecans and walnuts and leave aside for a few minutes to allow the icing to set. Your cakes are now ready to serve and enjoy!
Bake with Dr. Oetker to win! (UK only)
Send your bakes that you have made using Dr. Oetker products and tell them what inspired you to make it with #Evenbetterbaking.
Each week Dr. Oetker will pick a Star Baker who will win a goodie bag, and entry into their prize draw to win an Ultimate Baking Hamper worth £500.
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This is a commissioned post for Dr. Oetker. Recipe courtesy of Dr. Oetker.
Emily you don’t even have to promise that they are tasty. I can just see that they are. Brilliant.
This is like a fruit orchard in a cake! Love the mini-shapes, and all the delicious dried fruit and nuts. Totally yum!
Thank you! They really are extremely tasty with a lovely, moist texture.