Grain Free Carrot Cake

Grain-Free Carrot Cake

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/grain-free-carrot-cake • Posted by Lila Ruth Grain Free

This super moist + delicious cake is an easy one bowl recipe-- so it’s just a whisk, grate and a stir– and then it’s off to the oven! And the frosting is easy peasy as is the zigzag carrot design. :-)

You will need

2 ½ cup Almond Flour (Bob's Red Mill) ¾ cup Tapioca Starch ¾ cup Sugar 2 tsp Cinnamon 2 tsp Baking Powder (Hain brand is grain-free). 1 ⅗ cup Grated Carrot(s) (we used yellow, orange and purple--any will do). ½ tsp Baking Soda ¾ cup Milk (or almond milk for dairy-free) ¼ cup Olive Oil 1 Egg 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract 8 oz Bag chopped Walnuts (for decoration)
FOR THE FROSTING:
¼ cup Butter r, room temperature (Earth Balance for Dairy-Free) 8 packets Package Cream Cheese , room temperature (Kite Hill brand for dairy-free) 4 ½ cup Powdered Sugar (Wholesome! brand is grain-free) 3 ½ tbsp Milk (or almond milk) 2 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Project Budget

Time

Difficulty

Description

This super moist + delicious cake is an easy one bowl recipe-- so it’s just a whisk, grate and a stir– and then it’s off to the oven! And the frosting is easy peasy as is the zigzag carrot design. :-)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca starch, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder + baking soda. Add grated carrots and whisk again until evenly combined.

2. Add milk, oil, egg, vanilla + apple cider vinegar to your flour mix and stir or blend until your batter is smooth.

3. Pour batter into 2 parchment paper lined 9" round cake pans. (If you're not using parchment paper, grease pans well and dust with tapioca starch before adding your batter. (See "Tips" on our blog post for alternative baking pans suitable for this recipe).

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Lightly cover with foil at about 18 minutes in. Cake will be golden brown around the edges and just a little tender to the touch. (8x8 square pan takes 35-40 minutes).

5. While your cake is in the oven, go ahead and mix together your frosting. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer on medium high speed, cream together your cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in your vanilla + milk. Add in your sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time while blending. Mix until smooth. If you prefer your frosting thinner, add milk. For thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. (At this time you can use two additional separate dishes to create orange and green frosting for your carrots. See "Tips" in our blog post for icing tips + food coloring options).

6. Remove your cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. After your cake is 100% cool, lightly run a knife around the edges of the pans, and carefully flip over onto plate or desired surface. Pipe or spread the cream cheese frosting onto the layers. Use your orange frosting to create the zigzags for the carrot base and the green for the stems. Then carefully press your chopped walnuts against the sides of your cake. Some will fall, just reuse those and place them back on the cake--the icing acts like a paste. Alternatively, you can skip the carrot + stem decoration and place the walnuts on top of the cake.

7. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate, it's fabulous either way. Do store leftovers covered and in the fridge.