Spring Carrot Cake (GF)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A moist and delicious carrot cake with citrus cinnamon notes and a luscious cream cheese-yogurt frosting (gluten-free).
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Ingredients
  • For the Carrot Cake
  • 2 cups all purpose gluten-free baking flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2+1/2 cups shredded carrots, lightly packed
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (I like Califia Farms brand)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts + more for decorating
  • ⅓ cup golden raisins (or other dried fruit), optional
  • For the Cream Cheese-Yogurt Frosting
  • 2 x 8 oz (500 g) original cream cheese
  • 7 oz (200 g) 2% unsweetened plain yogurt
  • 1 cup, or to taste, powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease 2 x 9-inch round cake pans generously (I also recommend lining the bottom of each pan with parchment paper - it only takes a sec and makes the cake so much easier to remove).
  3. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (gluten-free flour to nutmeg).
  4. In a separate large bowl, combine wet ingredients (carrots to milk) whisking to combine.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet using a spatula to gently fold together just until combined (best not to overmix). Add walnuts and fruit if using - giving another stir or two.
  6. Divide the batter equally into the two separate cake pans and bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the surface is firm when gently touched (it should also be a nice deep golden color). Allow the cakes to cool before carefully unmolding and cool fully before frosting and serving -OR- before covering and storing in the fridge for several hours or overnight (more below).
  7. To make the frosting, place the cream cheese, yogurt and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar gradually, while beating on high with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Taste the frosting and adjust sugar to preference (somewhere betw. 1 - 1 + ¾ cups should be about right). You can also refrigerate the frosting overnight if you wish.
  8. If you've refrigerated the cake, be sure to *remove it from fridge at least 2 hours before you plan on serving it* to allow it to come to room temperature. Frost and enjoy.
  9. To frost the cake, I used a small spatula to spread a layer over the first cake and then placed the second cake on top with another generous layer of frosting over the second cake (leaving enough to cover the sides of the cake). Once the cake is fully covered, you can decorate with another sprinkle of nuts/fruit and some leftover carrot bits or orange zest, as desired.
  10. Store leftovers (hah!) in an airtight container in the refrigerator - should be fine for 3 days or so.
Notes
What brand of flours did you use? I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Fee All Purpose Baking Flour (designed for use in cakes with a lovely fine texture) and Bob's Red Mill super-fine Natural Almond Flour (made from whole almonds with skin intact).
Can I use AP flour instead of Gluten-Free? yes! you can use 2 cups of AP + ½ cup of the almond flour (leaving other measurements as is) -or- if you want to skip the almond flour too, you can go with 2+1/4 cups AP flour with 1 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp baking soda.
I don't like raisins, can I skip them? yes! you can either skip them altogether or sub something you do like - some options: currants, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apricots (thin sliced).
Other Substitutions: butter/oil: you can use ½ cup melted butter (in place of part olive oil) or ½ cup olive oil in place of part butter, as preferred. Nuts! I cannot imagine carrot cake without walnuts, but whatever lights your torch -- sub any nut you wish. Milk: cow's milk (or any other) is perfectly fine.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2018/03/spring-carrot-cake.html