Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting ~ this lovely grain-free cake is made with almond flour so it's tender and moist, but don't worry, all the goodies you love in a classic carrot cake recipe are in there.
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the carrot cake
- 7 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ½ cups almond flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp cardamom
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ginger
- 1 pound about 5 medium-large carrots shredded
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
For the cream cheese frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ sticks butter room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the topping
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering the sides and placing a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of each tin.
- With an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar for several minutes on medium-high speed until very light and the mixture holds a thin ribbon when drizzled. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond meal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together the shredded carrot, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and vegetable oil.
- Add part of the almond flour mixture to the eggs, and alternate with the carrot mixture, mixing on low to incorporate into the eggs with each addition.
- Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans, and bake for about 35-45 minutes. The carrot cakes should be set in the middle, and spring back when poked gently. They will be a deep color, but if they start to get too brown on top while baking, place a small sheet of foil over them.
- Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before carefully removing from the cake pans, and allow to cool fully on a baking rack.
For the cream cheese frosting
- With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the butter until very smooth. Add the powdered sugar about a half cup or a cup at a time, and beat for a few minutes until fully incorporated and smooth. (Still have small lumps? See the tips below for a suggestion!)
- Frost the cake by placing one of the carrot cake layers on a flat surface. Spread about 1/2 of the frosting in a thick layer over the cake, allowing it to go slightly over the edge. Place the second cake layer on top, and spread the rest of the frosting in a thick layer of the top.
- With an offset spatula or a board scraper, carefully spread the excess frosting in between the two layers around the outside of the cake for a "naked" effect.
- For a swoopy look on top of the cake, use the back of a large metal spoon to make small, curling motions. Wipe the excess frosting off the spoon between each swipe.
For the topping
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Spread the shredded coconut and chopped walnuts on a baking sheet
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes, checking frequently so they don't burn.
- Allow to cool slightly, and sprinkle around the outside edge of the cake.
