Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
 
I never liked carrot cake or baking growing up as a child but now I have cravings for this dense, moist, delicious treat. I still prefer cooking over baking but this recipe is worth all the measuring. I adapted this recipe from "Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook" (click here to see the book!). I have tried a couple recipes from this cook book and it has not disappointed so far. Definitely worth $15! Or you could save the $15 and just borrow the cookbook for a couple days. :)

 Anyways here is the recipe (makes one 9 -inch cake) :

1 cup brown rice flour 

1/2 cup white rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 

 1/2 cup unsalted butter @ room temp.

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups of carrots, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup raisins 

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350F and butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Mix together dry ingredients (up to the butter) in a large bowl. Using a electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla then gradually beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined (will have a thick smooth batter). Stir in the carrots, raisins and pecans until blended evenly.
Scrap batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or test with a toothpick to make sure the cake is fully cooked. Let cool completely on a wired rack. While the cake is baking in the oven mix up the frosting:

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1/2 unsalted butter
4 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar, sifted

Using electric mixer beat together cream cheese, butter (both at room temperature) and vanilla extract. When smooth add icing sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy. The recipe calls for 4 cups of sifted icing sugar but you definitely do not need to add that much. Add enough to make the icing a thicker consistency that will stick to the cake.

From here on out you can take the lazy way and just ice the cake, like i did, or you can follow these directions to impress with the presentation. (Also you can probably get way with making 1/2 the icing if you do not want to follow the extensive presentation directions...)

Unmold from pan and place on work surface. Cut the cake in half horizontally and separate the two layers. Place bottom layer on a platter and spread about 3/4 cup of icing on the top of the bottom layer. Place the top layer on top and using a spatula ice the rest of the cake smoothly and evenly. Using a pastry bag with a star tip, pipe rows of starts across the top of the cake, creating a checkerboard effect. Place whole pecans in the squares between the piped row and refrigerate the cake until serving. This seemed liked WAY to much work, but I guess if your up for a challenge and enjoy decorating, be my guest!

The cake can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Enjoy!