GLUTEN FREE CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

This cake is moist and light and the cream cheese frosting makes it ‘eyes roll back in your head’ good. My wife loves Whole Foods carrot cake so I adapted their on-line cake recipe into a gluten free version and, though I also am not usually a fan of carrot cake, I really loved this cake. My friend Louise was visiting from Arizona when I made this. She raved about it and tells me she is anxiously waiting for me to post this recipe. My wife and I prefer desserts that are not overly sweet so I played with the frosting recipe and created a less sugary one.  I also use unrefined sugars in recipes to lessen the sweetness.  In this recipe I used evaporated cane juice crystals in place of the sugar in the cake and evaporated cane juice powdered sugar in the frosting.

GLUTEN FREE CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup	Unsalted Butter, room temperature- (1 cup=2 sticks)
½ cup	Canola or Olive Oil
1/3 cup	Plain Yogurt
1 ½ cups	Natural Cane Sugar
1 cup	Sorghum Flour
½ cup	Tapioca Flour
½ cup	Chickpea or Chickpea/Fava Flour
2 tsp.	Xanthan or Guar Gum
2 ½ tsp.	Baking Soda
2 tsp.	Cinnamon
¼ tsp.	Salt
4 large	Eggs
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
1 Tbs.	Apple Cider Vinegar
3 cups	Grated Carrots
1 cup	Chopped Pecans-toasted

Frosting

16 oz.	Cream Cheese at room temperature
4 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter at room temperature
½ cup	Powdered Sugar
¼ cup	Whole Milk
2 tsp.	Vanilla extract

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.

Toast pecans in oven.  Let cool and chop.

With an electric mixer cream butter and oil until blended.

Add yogurt and sugar and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl combine flours; xanthan or guar gum; salt; cinnamon and baking soda.  Stir with a whisk until well combined.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with eggs, adding one at a time.  Beat well after each egg is added.

Add the vanilla extract and vinegar and blend well.

Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Fold in the nuts.

Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until done.

For cupcakes place batter in ungreased paper baking cups in muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or when cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.

Remove from oven and let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes until inverting them on wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting

With an electric mixer combine all the ingredients and whip until well combined and light and fluffy.

Frost the cakes and enjoy. Garnish cake with chopped nuts, if desired.