Gluten Free Carrot Cake
240 g (8 ½ oz.) sugar
2 eggs
100 ml (3 ½ fl. oz.) canola oil plus extra for greasing
60 g ( ¼ cup) plain yogurt
100 g ¾ cup) rice flour
70 g (2/3 cup) Corn flour or cornstarch
30 g (1/3 cup) almond meal
½ tsp. xanthan gum
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2-½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped and toasted (optional)
170g (6 oz.) grated carrots
Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk the sugar and eggs and add the oil and yogurt. Combine all the dry ingredients in a different bowl and then pour them into the egg mixture. Whisk together until smooth. Add the grated carrots and stir well.
Grease an 8” round cake pan. Pour mixture into pan and bake for about 45 minutes or when skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand to cool.
Frosting
50 g (1 ¾ oz.) butter softened
200g (7 oz.) Cream Cheese softened
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. Cognac or Grand Marnier
1-cup confectioner’s sugar
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice
Whip everything using mixer until smooth and creamy.
Once cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting. One option is to split the cake in the middle making two or three layers and frosting each layer and then covering the whole cake with the frosting. Decorate with nuts or dusted cinnamon.