Ras el hanout carrot loaf

A classic carrot loaf gets a ras el hanout twist - flavours of cumin, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, coriander, clove and allspice.

Ras el hanout carrot loaf Credit: Tammi Kwok

• serves

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups hazelnut or almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout spice (see Note)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt or coconut yoghurt for a dairy-free option
• ½ cup argan or olive oil
• 4 carrots, grated

Coconut whipped cream (optional)

• 1 x 400 g can full-fat coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
• 1 tsp icing sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine almond meal, baking powder, bicarb soda, ras el hanout and salt.
3. In another large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until well combined and fluffy. Add the yoghurt and argan oil and mix well. 
4. Pour the wet egg mixture into the dry almond meal bowl with the grated carrots and gently fold using a spatula, making sure not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with some clean. If you need to cover with foil, do so at this point. 
7. To make the whipped coconut cream, remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge. Open and drain any liquid. Using a stand-alone or hand mixer, whip until thick and glossy. Add the tsp of icing sugar at a time until combined.
8. Once cooled, you can dollop it with whipped coconut cream and finish with candied citrus peel. Or you can simply serve it with a dusting of icing sugar. 

Note

• Ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of spices from specialist food shops or you can make your own using this recipe.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.