Real Food, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
I feel like people either love carrot cake or hate it. I’m one that has always loved it. I like the spices and the way the carrots make the cake soft and moist. If I’m up for a dairy treat, I absolutely love a thick cream cheese frosting on top. Most of the time, though, I try to limit or completely avoid dairy, so I wanted to come up with a carrot cake recipe that could stand on its own without the support of a sticky sweet frosting. For this recipe, I provide a few light glaze options, but they really aren’t necessary. This oat flour carrot cake is light, fluffy, and full of flavor. It can stand alone.
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE UNIQUE?
This recipe for oat flour carrot cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, and free from processed sugar. Like my recipe for The Best Gluten-Free Apple Crisp, I find that it’s sweet enough to be a dessert, but also not too sweet for breakfast. When I’m not relying on sugar to carry a cake, I like to punch up the other flavors. This recipe calls for fresh grated ginger and orange rind as well as a bit of fresh orange juice. That, combined with the cinnamon and nutmeg, makes this cake a powerhouse of flavor.
THE GLAZE
In the recipe, I present two options for the glaze. One is free from processed sugar. It relies on arrowroot as a thickener, and maple syrup as a sweetener. It’s mildly sweet. The second is a more traditional powdered sugar glaze that uses maple syrup for flavoring. I feel like the powdered sugar glaze sets up a bit better, but if you’re avoiding processed sugar, the first choice is still a good option.
Arrowroot Glaze
Powdered Sugar Glaze (I tried to increase the fluffiness of the cake in this take, but the extra baking powder led to cracks in the surface of the cake. As written in the recipe, it should not do this.)
Oat Flour Carrot Cake (Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Sugar)
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 c oat flour
- 1/4 c arrowroot flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 – 1 1/2 c shredded carrots (about three large carrots)
- 1/2 c apple sauce
- 1/2 c maple syrup
- 1/4 c avocado oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- rind of one orange, grated
- 1/4 c fresh orange juice
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 c pecans, chopped
- 1/4 c raisins
GLAZE OPTION 1 (No Processed Sugar)
- 2 tbsp arrowroot
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Glaze Option 2
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350 F. Line a round cake pan with parchment paper. (I use chip clips to hold the paper to the edges of the pan until I pour in the batter.)
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. If you are using pecans or raisins, you can add them to the wet ingredients at this step.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. I do this about a 1/2 c at a time. I use a spatula to fold everything over until well combined. Scrape the edges of the bowl and be sure there are no clumps of flour in the batter.
- Once the batter is well mixed, pour it into the lined cake pan. (Remove the chip clips if you used them.) Take a pair of scissors and trim the parchment paper at the top of the pan. (If you leave too much paper exposed, it may begin to brown in the oven.)
- Bake the cake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. Use a toothpick or knife in the center of the cake after baking to be sure that the cake is done all the way through.
- Once the cake is done, lift the edges of the paper to move the cake to a rack to cool. Pull the edges of the paper down while the cake cools. After the cake has cooled, you can use the paper to slide the cake onto a platter.
- If you’d like to glaze the cake, choose one of the two options. The first is mildly sweet. The second is a more traditional powdered sugar glaze with maple syrup used as flavoring. Glaze once the cake has completely cooled.
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