Gluten-free Carrot Cake (United States)
Carrot Cake is a classic American pastry, appreciated for its soft texture and richly spiced taste. This gluten-free version maintains all the fun of the traditional recipe, with grated carrots, crunchy walnuts, and a creamy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a celebration or a dessert to share, this cake is naturally sweet and spicy.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 100 g rice flour
- 50 g of almond powder
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 150 g of cane sugar
- 100 ml vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 carrots (grated)
- 60 g chopped walnuts (optional)
- 50 g raisins (optional)
- For the icing:
- 60 g of fresh cheese (Philadelphia type)
- 70 g sifted icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons of whole cream
Preparation
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a small round or rectangular cake mold suitable for 6 people (approximately 18 cm in diameter or a small rectangular mold).
- Mixing dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift the flour and almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In another bowl, beat the eggs with the cane sugar until the mixture is frothy. Then add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract, and mix.
- Stir in the carrots: Add the grated carrots, walnuts and raisins to the wet mixture. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until you obtain a homogeneous paste.
- Cooking: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Check the cooking with a toothpick: it should come out clean when the cake is ready. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the mold before removing, then leave to cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting: While the cake is cooling, beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer. Add the cream, then gradually add the icing sugar and vanilla extract, and continue beating until you have a smooth, creamy frosting.
- Frosting: Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly on top. Decorate with chopped nuts or grated carrots if desired.
- Tips: You can store this cake in the refrigerator for a few days, but it is best served at room temperature.