Passover Carrot Almond Cake (Pareve)
Did you think carrot cake was an American invention? Think again: in the Veneto region, Jews have had many versions of this dessert for centuries (and all without cheese frosting!).
1.5 cups of granulated sugar
2.5 cups of ground almonds
9 ounces carrots, grated (use small organic carrots for a rich flavor)
6 eggs, separated
A pinch of salt
Amaretto liqueur or 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Butter, oil, or pareve margarine and matzah meal for greasing the pan
Beat the yolks with the sugar, add the grated carrots, almonds, salt, cinnamon and almond extract.
In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gradually fold the whites into the batter.
Pour the mixture into a greased pan dusted with matzah meal and bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Just before serving, decorate with Pesach powdered sugar and whole almonds or almond slices.
My notes:
- Add about 2 Tbsp of oil to the batter
- Use a spring form pan, lined with parchment paper. Oil the paper and omit the matzah meal.
This recipe originally came from the Kosher Italian cooking blog, "Dinner in Venice."
