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Gluten free carrot cake with maple cream frosting

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

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5 from 3 votes
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Servings 16 servings
Calories

Ingredients
  

For the Carrot Cake

  • 1 cup raisins
  • ⅔ cup rum
  • 1 cup room temp butter or dairy free buttery sticks (I use Earth Balance)
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • 6 eggs (separated)
  • 2 5-6 oz containers vanilla yogurt (I use So Delicious Dairy Free)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups finely shredded carrots
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (plus 2 more cups for optional decoration)
  • 3 ½ cups Gluten Free Flour Blend with xanthan gum (I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 3 8 oz containers room temp cream cheese (I use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (dairy free))
  • 12 Tbsp room temp butter or sub with additional DF cream cheese
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Day Ahead Prep: In a small container, pour rum over the raisins and leave to soak overnight. You may want to make the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting a day ahead too. It is more stiff after being refrigerated, making it easier to frost the cake.
  • Day of: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 round cake pans with parchment circle on the bottom, then grease bottoms and sides of pans.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir so that it is all combined well and set aside.
  • Separate eggs. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks using a mixer at high speed. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until combined and creamy. Add egg yolks, then yogurt and vanilla. Then add the raisins and the rum. Next the carrots and finally the chopped nuts. Making sure to combine ingredients well after each is added.
  • On a slow speed, gradually add the flour mixture a little at a time until it is all combined well. By hand, fold in the whipped egg whites until just barely combined. Then pour half of the mixture into each prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the center is set. There should still be a slight crumb or some moisture if you insert a toothpick, you don’t want it to get completely dry. Begin checking for doneness every 5 minutes after the 45 minute mark.
  • Once the cakes are out of the oven, let them cool completely. Trim the tops so that they are level. Then put the frosting on (instructions below) and decorate the sides with more crushed walnuts or pecans.

For the Frosting:

  • Using a mixer, combine the room temp butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until combined completely. Add the maple syrup in a little at a time until combined completely. The frosting will be loose, but should still hold a ribbon from the beaters.
  • Store covered in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I like to store it in a gallon sized plastic bag, then cut the tip off of one end and use the bag to pipe the frosting onto the cake.
Keyword allergy friendly, dairy free, gluten free
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