Most carrot cakes lean on wheat flour and cream cheese. This one skips both. Ground pistachios and almonds do the structural work here, with brown rice flour holding things together, and the result is a cake that tastes like nuts and carrots first, flour second. It’s Italian in approach. No frosting. Just a thin dark chocolate glaze with orange zest cracked over the top.
Why does it work so well without gluten? The nut base. 150g (5 oz) of ground pistachios and almonds give the crumb density and fat that wheat flour can’t. The cake stays tender for days, wrapped at room temperature. Still holds its shape on the third morning.
How to Make Chocolate Glazed Carrot Cake
The Nut Grind
Pulse the pistachios and almonds with the sugar in short bursts. You want a coarse meal, not a paste.
If you over-process, the oils release and the batter turns dense in the wrong way. Five or six pulses in a food processor. Stop before it clumps.
The Chocolate Glaze
Melt 100g (3.5 oz) of 80% dark chocolate gently. A double boiler or low microwave heat, 20 seconds at a time.
Add the orange zest while the chocolate is still warm so the oils bloom into it. Pour over the cake only after it has cooled completely, or the glaze won’t set.
Chocolate Glazed Carrot Cake
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Description
A soft, moist cake with a delicate flavor. Ideal for dipping in milk, it is perfect also as a dessert after a light meal. In this recipe, pistachio is the ingredient that makes the difference.
Ingredients
- 100 g 3½ oz pistachios
- 50 g 2 oz toasted whole almonds
- 80 g 2 ¾ oz dark brown sugar
- 3 carrots
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 egg
- 150 g 5 oz brown rice flour, sifted
- 15 g ½ oz organic baking powder
- 100 g 3½ oz 80% dark chocolate
- 1 orange zest
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lightly grease and line a 22 cm (81/2 inch) springform tin with baking paper.
- In a blender, process the pistachios and almonds with the sugar and set aside.
- Peel and grate the carrots and mix with a pinch of salt. Add the egg, flour and baking powder and mix quickly. Add to the pistachio and almond mixture.
- Pour the batter into the baking tin. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add the orange zest.
- When the cake is still warm, pour the chocolate glaze over and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
- Category: Baking
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the pistachios with another nut?
Hazelnuts work well and keep the Italian character. Walnuts are fine too, but the cake will taste more like a traditional carrot cake. Grind any substitute to the same coarse meal texture.
How should I store this cake?
Wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to three days. The nut base actually improves on day two as the flavors settle. Refrigerate after that, but bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Can I use milk chocolate for the glaze instead of dark?
You can, but the balance shifts. The 80% dark chocolate cuts against the sweetness of the carrots and brown sugar. Milk chocolate will make the whole thing sweeter, so reduce the sugar by 15-20g (about 1 tablespoon) if you go that route.
