Packed full of walnuts and tangy craisins, this moist gluten-free carrot cake with decadent lemon cream cheese icing is the ultimate sweet and spicy treat. Recipe is suitable for baking as a cake or muffins. Equally tasty sans the icing.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sunflower or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup craisins
Whole walnuts, extra
Serves 8-12
Icing
250g cream cheese, softened
65g butter, softened
5 tablespoons lemon juice
5 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
5 cups (800g) icing sugar
Makes approx 4 cups
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper, grease well. Alternatively, line a muffin tin with paper cups.
Sift baking mix, spices and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is just combined - don't over mix it.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and smooth the surface.
Bake cake for approximately 55-60 minutes (30-45 minutes for muffins). The cake / muffins are cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the cake tin and allow cake / muffins to cool.
Serve as is or with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing.
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla together until smooth and fluffy.
Add icing sugar one cup at a time. Beat until creamy.
Add more icing sugar or lemon juice as needed to achieve desired consistency.
Note: This yielded an obscene amount of icing - possibly half the amount would have been sufficient for the size of this cake. But if you have a sweet tooth and not concerned about your waistline, then what the heck, spread it thick, spread it all!
[Recipe by Franciska - adapted from Healtheries Scrumptious Carrot Cake recipe.]
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