Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is easy to make, moist and delicious, and truly doesn’t taste “gluten-free.” The cream cheese frosting can easily be used on other desserts too. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again! To make this a breakfast bread instead of a dessert, skip the frosting and maybe reduce the brown sugar somewhat.

[GF] This recipe is gluten-free.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix (see below for mine)
  • 1/2 cup oats, pulsed several times in a food processor
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 egg
  • 4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (be careful not to overdo it!)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups shredded carrots
  • 3/8 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins

Cream cheese frosting

  • 4 oz. (1/2 tub) Philadelphia whipped cream cheese
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

My gluten-free baking flour mix

You can use this for most GF recipes, or use your favorite store-bought mix. I make this several cups at a time, then keep the container in the fridge so I’m ready for baking. Keep in mind that you will need to add xanthan gum to your recipes, since this mix does not have any yet.

  • 1 part brown rice flour
  • 1 part sweet sorghum flour
  • 2/3 part potato starch
  • 1/2 part tapioca starch

Equipment

  • 2 mixing bowls — 1 large, 1 small
  • Small bundt pan
  • Electric hand mixer

Directions

  1. Mix gluten-free flour, oats, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and xanthan gum in large mixing bowl.
  2. Add egg, applesauce, canola oil, honey, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until evenly blended.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Add carrots, pineapple, and raisins. Mix until evenly distributed.
  5. Grease the bundt pan.
  6. Pour batter into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 28-34 minutes.
  7. While the cake is baking, make the frosting by mixing all frosting ingredients in the small mixing bowl. Blend on low, then medium, for about two minutes until completely smooth. To keep it spreadable, leave it at room temperature until ready to frost the cake. If you have to refrigerate it, then bring it back to room temperature and/or beat it for a minute with the mixer to thin it back out before spreading it over the cake.
  8. When the cake is cool to the touch, frost it with the cream cheese frosting.

Source

Cake is my own creation. Frosting adapted from Janni’s “Cream Cheese Frosting II” recipe on allrecipes.com.