I’m so excited my heart feels like it’s jumping up and down in a thousand different places!
Since we booked our return tickets to Rome on Monday, I haven’t been able to stop thinking (and talking) about anything else.
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Because the trip was decided on so last minute (in less than three weeks’ time we’ll be in Italy!!), there’s a ton of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I feel just like an energizer battery fully charged.
My mind’s filled with a list of to-do items, like booking accomodation, finding restaurants where we absolutely must dine at, as well as trying to budget everything into place.
I’m so incredibly pumped and am running on a happiness high!
And, it doesn’t hurt that everyone I talk to about Italy is just as excited as I am, either because it brings back beautiful memories to their minds, or because Italy simply has to amazing power to put anyone in a good mood.
I know the next couple of weeks will be crammed packed with checking out accomodation reviews, restaurant rankings and ratings, as well as itinerary planning, but this is definitely a good kind of busy.
Between emailing various friends all over the world for their wise travelling tips (renting a car or taking the public transport?); comparing hotels’ locations and prices (Trevi, Rione Monti or Vatican City?); and trying not to freak out from excitement, I am also trying to enjoy every moment, because life sure is wonderfully sweet right now.
You know, sweet and delicious, just like this amazingly moist carrot cake covered in a rich cream cheese frosting.
Oh, and if you were to sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top, it gets even better.
Why don’t you sit down and have a slice with me, and just soak in the beauty of this moment?
GRAIN-FREE CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Adapted from: La Nacion Revista and All Recipes
Ingredients:
For the grain-free carrot cake:
1) 2 eggs
2) 1 cup of brown sugar
3) 3/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
4) 2 cups of almond meal
5) 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
6) ½ teaspoon of salt
7) 1 cup of freshly shredded carrots
8) 1 cup of chopped walnuts
For the cream cheese frosting:
9) 1 cup (225g) cream cheese
10) ¼ cup butter (60g)
11) 1 cup sifted icing sugar
12) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13) 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (for sprinkling over cream cheese frosting)
Steps:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit (175 deg Cel)
2) In a large bowl, cream together the eggs with sugar
3) Sift in the almond meal, ground cinnamon, and salt
4) Mix in coconut oil, until you get a homogenous batter
5) Add in shredded carrots and chopped walnuts and mix till combined
6) Pour batter in a parchment-paper lined greased loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7) Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting, but creaming together the cream cheese and butter until very creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gently stir in the confectioners’ sugar.
8) When carrot cake has cooled, spread cream cheese over, and top with chopped walnuts, and allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
hiba says
Felicia this is a very very delicious cake! it reminded me of Christmas in the middle of summer 🙂
Great texture although it didn’t rise, do you think i should use Bicarbonate of soda or Baking powder? or is it because i used regular oil instead of coconut? it had more a pudding texture than a cake, but the taste was amazing!
Thank you for another great recipe (after the ricotta gluten free cake)
P.S: I’m gonna spend August in Italy 🙂
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi Hiba!! So glad you like the grain-free carrot cake! you’re absolutely right about the texture – its more like pudding than cake – I suppose because of the water given out by the carrots and the more moist texture of grain-free flours!
AND ITALY!!! Oh man, I’m so jealous. Wish I could go back to Italy! It does get very hot in August though. Be sure to eat lots of gelatto and lemon slush to cool down from the heat. Which parts are you going to visit?
hiba says
well it’s my fourth time and it’s time to go to the south! so Bari, Lecce, Napolie, Capri… and looots of Gelato, and mozzarella, risotto, pasta, pizza…. 🙂
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hey Hiba! Sorry for the delayed reply! I’ve only been to Naples and Capri in the south…. Haven’t been to Bari and Lecce yet….! So excited for you! Have tons of fun and if you’d like, share the photos with me when you’re back from vacation! At least I can pretend I’m back in la bella Italia again! 😉
Adrienne says
If you’re in the Vatican City area, DEFINITELY take the time to stop by Bibi & Romeo ‘Osteria for a meal (87/89 Via della Giuliana/ 00195). It’s a cozy little restaurant run by a husband and wife with some of the best food I’ve eaten while visiting Italy.
Looking forward to trying out this carrot cake recipe, too!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Adrienne, thank you so much for the recommendation! In fact, if you have other recommendations for Italy (Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, Capri), they are greatly welcome!! I’m as excited about the food in Italy as I am about the ruins (perhaps the food more than the ruins, to be honest), and any tried and tested gelaterias/ristorantes/trattorias will definitely make my day!
oh btw, my mum (who lives in Singapore, where I’m from), made this carrot cake the other day and she said it was very nice and moist! So if you do try it, I think you might like it!