Recipe: Flourless Carrot Cake (using almonds and lemon)

FLOURLESS CARROT CAKE

1 cup almonds, with skins
2 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar, divided use
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp pine nuts
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides of an 8x2-inch cake pan, line the base with a circle of baking parchment, and butter the parchment.

Using a nut mill, grind almonds to flour and set aside.

Using the same nut mill, grate carrots into fine shreds. There should be 1 1/2 cups, quite firmly packed, Place in a bowl, add lemon zest, lemon juice Set aside.

Beat egg whites until they start to stiffen, sprinkle with half the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy.

Beat egg yolks with remaining 1/3 cup sugar until very thick and pale lemon in color. Stir in carrot mixture and ground almonds. Fold in egg whites.

Sift cornstarch and baking powder on top and fold in lightly but thoroughly. Spoon into prepared pan, smooth top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Bake for 40 minutes, until a tester comes out dry. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Run a knife blade around edge of cake and unmold onto a rack. Peel off paper, reverse onto rack right side up, and let cool completely.

Dust edges with a 2-inch wide band of powdered sugar (let the toasted nuts show in the center) before serving.

Makes 1 (8-inch, single-layer) cake, 8 servings
Source: Jacqueline Mallorca, San Francisco Chronicle