Description
This one-bowl carrot cake is delicious, gluten-free and comes together in no time at all!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (I like Bob’s 1:1 or Better Batter)*
1 cup of coconut sugar
1 cup of organic white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons Ceylon Cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup mild tasting oil, I used avocado oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3 large organic free-range large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten**
2 teaspoons quality vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup pureed carrots or 3-4 jars of pureed carrots baby food depending on how many oz. in the jar
3/4 cup of canned crushed pineapple
Optional:
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
Cream Cheese Icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature***
3 Tablespoons organic unsalted grass-fed butter, softened
1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. Line a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2.) In a large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together. You can also use a whisk, just make sure all the clumps are broken up.
3.) Stir in the oil, eggs and vanilla – keep string to combine.
4.) Fold in the purred carrots, pineapple, and if using, the coconut and nuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5.) Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely before adding the frosting.
6.) While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together.
7.) Slowly start adding the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture, blending until there are no more lumps. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
8.) Gently apply the icing to the cooled carrot cake and enjoy!!
Notes
*If you are not gluten-free, regular AP flour will work here as well as I imagine whole wheat flour or oat flour would taste delicious or even a combination of both.
**If you are vegan, I think flax eggs would make a delicious substitution or I’ve even read where 1/4 cup of carbonated water equals one egg. I have not tried either of these yet though – if you try them, please let me know how it turns out!
***If you are dairy-free, try using the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter – I bet it will taste delicious!
