Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Just because you can’t have gluten, doesn’t mean you cant enjoy your favorite desserts and treats whenever you want!

This simple, classic,  moist gluten-free carrot cake, full of spice flavor and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting is all you need to indulge your taste buds when you crave a carrot cake treat.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (about 2 cups)
• ½ cup toasted shredded unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup drained and chopped canned pineapple
• 5 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line two 8″ cake pans with parchment paper. Grease sides of pan with vegetable oil and dust with almond flour to coat. Tap out excess flour.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt.
3. In a different large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat for about 5 minutes or until doubled in volume and mixture trails off the beaters in ribbons. Beat in ginger and vanilla until combined.
4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the vegetable oil with carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple.
5. Then add half the dry ingredients into the bowl with the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Then add in ½ the carrot mixture and beat until just combined. Repeat once more until all ingredients are combined.
6. Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to make the frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer on medium-high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth.
3. Beat in the vanilla and salt.

Frosting the cake:

1. Place one cake on a serving plate. Spread a cupful of frosting evenly on top, then top with the second cake. Spread with 1 more cupful of frosting, then frost sides. Garnish with walnuts.
2. Serve and enjoy.