Last week, I decided to host a last minute surprise birthday party for my mom. I have to admit I’m not a baker – Eric has always been the baker in our family but with him off at work I turned to Grant to come up with something special. I mean you can’t have a birthday dinner without cake! Without knowing what he was going to bake he arrived at the door with a beautiful Carrot cake. As we sang happy birthday to my mom and began eating the cake Grant asked how we liked it – I proclaimed I was having a second piece. He then tells all of us that it’s gluten free – say what!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ cup vegetable oil or a light olive oil
2 cups gluten free flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons bourbon
4 cups of grated carrots
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts
Frosting Ingredients:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
8 ounces of reduced fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
8 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees or 176C
2. Use two round 9- inch cake pans (I like the non-stick pans). Spray cooking spray or butter pans. You could also make cupcakes with this recipe – this recipe will make around 32 cupcakes.
3. Place sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with hand mixer or stand mixer. Add in oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl mix the GF flour and baking soda and powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet and beat until blended.
5. Stir in the grated carrots and nuts. Divide batter into cake pans.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (If making cupcakes make for 30 mins)
7. While cakes or cupcakes are cooling, place butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
8. Frost when cake is cool.
Recipe & Food Prep by Grant Gibson / Photography & Styling by Claire Giffen
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