Chocolate Carrot and Ginger Slice

One way to use up leftover icing from store-bought cake mixes.

I've made the family's favourite apple slice a couple of times now but after purchasing two vanilla cake mixes I ended up with unused packets of icing. I asked my Aunt what she did with the icing, only to be told that I could buy vanilla cake mixes without the icing mix!

However, I can't buy a gluten-free cake mix without the icing so I started to investigate gluten-free recipes where I could use the icing. And this was the result: a chocolate carrot and ginger slice.

This recipe is based on Gina Homolka's Super Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting at skinnytaste, and Donna Hay's Flourless Carrot Cake.

If you don't have icing from a store-bought cake mix, try a vanilla butter cream or cream cheese icing. I prefer the slight acidity in the cream cheese icing but the butter cream icing might suit those who like things a little sweeter. (I added orange zest because I found the butter cream icing too sweet for me!).

Makes 24 squares

Times

Preparation:

30 minutes

Cooking:

30 minutes plus 20 minutes for the butter cream icing or 10 minutes for the cream cheese icing

Ingredients

• For the slice:
  • 1 cup gluten-free plain flour
  • ¾ cup almond meal
  • ⅛ cup granulated stevia (or try 1 cup sugar)
  • 1 Tbs cacao or cocoa
  • 2½ tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated carrot, peeled
  • 1 cup grated apple, peeled
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
• Icing mix from a store-bought vanilla cake mix, or:
  • For a buttercream icing:
    • ³/₈ cup milk
    • 1 Tbs gluten-free plain flour
    • ½ cup softened butter
    • ½ cup caster sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Orange zest (optional, approximately 1-2 Tbs)
  • For a cream cheese icing:
    • 220g light cream cheese
    • 1 cup icing sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Make the slice:
   1. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
   2. Sift flour, almond meal, cacao, stevia, bicarbonate of soda, and spices into a large bowl and gently whisk to combine.
   3. In a separate bowl, mix oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Add grated carrot, apple and lemon juice.
   4. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.
   5. Line or grease a slice tin (27cm x 17.5cm x 3.5cm) and pour batter into tin.
   6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
   7. Leave in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Make the icing:
   • For store-bought icing, prepare the icing per manufacturer's instructions.
   • For a butter cream icing:
     1. Make a serving of the buttercream icing as described in the buttercream icing recipe.
     2. Optionally, stir orange zest into icing mix or sprinkle orange zest on top of the slice after icing it.
   • For a cream cheese icing, beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth.
3. Spread icing over cool slice and then cut slice into 24 pieces.

Variation

Instead of making a slice, divide the batter between 24 mini cupcake cases.