Carrot Cake

Ingredients


Cake:

  • 225 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) light brown soft sugar

  • 120 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) sunflower or vegetable oil

  • 3 large eggs (US large/UK medium), room temperature

  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

  • 200 g (1⅔ cups) plain gluten-free flour blend (without xanthan gum)

  • ¾ tsp baking powder

  • ¾ tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour blend contains it)

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp ground ginger

  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

  • 225 g (about 2¼ cups) carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

  • 90 g (¾ cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 170 g (¾ cup) cream cheese, cold

  • 175 g (¾ cup) heavy/double cream, cold

  • 80 g (⅔ cup) powdered/icing sugar, sifted

  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

  • Walnuts, roughly chopped, for decoration


Directions


Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9-inch (23cm) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

  3. Sift in gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

  4. Fold in grated carrots and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.

  5. Transfer batter to the lined baking tin, smoothing the top. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  6. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Cream Cheese Frosting:

  7. In a large bowl (or stand mixer), whisk cream cheese until smooth.

  8. Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until soft peaks form, being careful not to over-whip.

  9. Spread frosting over the cooled cake, creating decorative swirls. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.