Ingredients for 5-6 people:200 g carrots, coarsely grated (1)200 g almonds, coarsely chopped200 g sugar150 g flour, sifted
5 g baking powder1 lemon, the grated peel5 eggs190 g butter icing sugar
First of all separate the eggs. Use a whisk to beat the yolks with the sugar and then, stirring constantly, add the butter that you have previously softened at room temperature. Carefully incorporate the flour and baking powder, a little at a time, then add the chopped almonds, grated carrot and grated lemon peel (only the yellow part) and stir delicately. Beat the egg whites until stiff, fold them into the mixture and then pour it into a 20 cm round cake tin, greased with butter. Bake in a preheated oven, at 150 °C, for roughly three quarters of an hour (2). Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool down a little, then turn it out onto a serving dish and sprinkle with icing sugar.
It’s delicious for breakfast with coffee, milk or tea, or as a dessert after dinner. You can also serve it with custard or whipped cream. Its delicate flavour and soft texture are also particularly popular with children.
(1) Put the grated carrot on a clean teacloth and spread it out in an even layer. Cover with another cloth and set aside to “dry out” for an hour.
(2) Should the top of the cake begin to brown too much, halfway through the cooking time, quickly cover it with kitchen foil to prevent the surface from burning.