Gluten-Free Papaya Spice Cake

Spice cake has a downright cozy taste. If there’s fruit in a spice cake, odds are good that it’s apple, and it makes you think of sitting in front of a fireplace. The fireplace becomes a beach when the fruit in spice cake is Caribbean Red papaya. Although Caribbean Reds provide a different taste sensation, this fruit can also be the catalyst for relaxing thoughts.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almonds
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup light olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups Caribbean Red papaya, cut up and mashed into purée
2 tsp vanilla


Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with greased parchment paper.
- Using a food processor, pulse the almonds into a fine meal. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
- To the almond meal add the rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and sea salt.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Beat well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the larger bowl’s dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 33 to 35 minutes, until done.
- Cool the cake before frosting.

Lime-Nutmeg Icing

The sweetness of Caribbean Reds in the cake creates a sharp contrast with the lime icing. It’s a sweet-tart treat.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp vanilla
3 dashes nutmeg

Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and glossy.
- Frost the cooled cake.
- Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer before slicing.

Serves: 15

Prep time: 30 minutes (excluding baking and cooling time)