Healthier carrot cake with coconut

Who doesn’t love carrot cake? Hardly anyone. Carrot cake is an old favourite in many households and although the traditional recipes are full of healthy carrots, they are often filled with sugar – so we’ve replaced these ingredients with more natural alternatives. For example, instead of icing sugar, the frosting is made up of low-fat Greek yoghurt, orange rind, rice malt syrup and pepitas. Make it for friends and family or just to enjoy yourself – go on, you deserve it, plus it’s guilt-free!

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 175g white wheat flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 180g (1 1/2 cups) coarsely grated carrot
• 125ml (1/2 cup) rice malt syrup
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 60ml (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted
• 60ml (1/4 cup) butter milk

For the frosting

• 260g (1 cup) low fat Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp orange rind
• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup
• shredded coconut, to serve

Method

1. For the frosting, place a fine sieve over a bowl. Line sieve with two layers of muslin. Place yoghurt in centre. Enclose and twist to secure. Place in fridge for 8 hours or overnight to drain.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease base and side of a 20cm springform cake pan and line with baking paper. Combine raisin and orange juice in a bowl and set aside.
3. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Make a well in centre.
4. Combine carrot, rice malt syrup, eggs, oil, butter milk and raisin mixture. Pour into well. Stir well to combine.
5. Spoon into pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Transfer yoghurt to a bowl. Stir in orange rind and extra rice malt syrup. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with coconut and orange zest.