Ryan’s favorite cake is carrot cake, and for his birthday in March, I found this recipe. We immediately adapted it to reduce sugar and boost flavor. The changes are minor (reduce sugar and salt, add orange zest), but I wanted to publish our version of Bon Appétite’s Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. The best part of this cake is that it is made with nothing but almond flour!
Gluten-Free Orange Carrot Cake
Cake
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for pans
- 3 cups almond flour, plus more for dusting pans
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 5 large eggs
- 3/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 oz carrots, peeled, coarsely shredded, squeezed firmly to expel excess water
- 3/4 c shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3/4 c walnuts, finely chopped
- 3/4 c golden raisins
- Zest from 1 orange
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Zest from 1 orange
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Add 5º if above 4,000 ft. elevation.
- Grease two 8″ parchment-lined square or round cake pans with coconut oil, then dust with almond flour, tapping out excess.
- Whisk salt, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and remaining 3 cups flour in a medium bowl.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl until more than tripled in volume and mixture holds a ribbon for several seconds when drizzled over itself, 5–7 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Toss carrots, coconut, walnuts, raisins, orange zest, and remaining 1/2 cup oil in another medium bowl.
- Carefully fold together the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 3 additions, to egg mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Divide batter between prepared pans. Don’t hesitate to use a scale.
- Bake cake until lightly browned across the top, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the top springs back when gently poked, 33–36 minutes for circular pans, and 30-33 minutes for square pans.
- Let cool 20 minutes.
- Carefully run a knife around edges of pans to release the cake, then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl, scraping down as needed, until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
- Add yogurt, vanilla, orange zest, and salt and increase speed to medium-high.
- Beat, scraping down occasionally, until light and airy, about 4 minutes.
- Arrange one cake round domed side down on a large plate or platter.
- Cover top with one-half of frosting.
- Top with remaining cake layer, domed side up. Coat top with remaining frosting.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétite: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/gluten-free-carrot-cake
HandmadePhD 
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