K’s GF Carrot Birthday Cake

It turns out that I like to bake for just us as experiments, then use only tried and tested recipes for other people. So for K’s birthday cake, I experimented first.

No one minded sampling cup cakes, though without the cream cheese frosting, they might as well have been muffins.

I did try a gf carrot cake from the web, but it was so full of xanthan gum and baking soda, it tasted like firm, moist, baking soda;  pretty orange baking soda. I loaded it down the garbage disposal in a fit of pique.

Inspired by the Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, I tried adapting my favorite carrot cake recipe that I got from my sister in law Annalynn by way of her seminary friend Jerry-Ann.

And it worked!

Oven to 325
cut wax paper (or parchment paper) rounds for the bottom of 2 9 inch cake pans, grease the sides.

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil (I used saffron)
2 cups sugar
2 cups gluten free flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon (I probably used a little more than that)
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 cups shredded fresh carrots (as fresh as possible, Jerry- Ann who can sing like an angel’s recipe says with green tips and leaves if at all possible.  Not that you include the leaves in the cake of course.)

Stir together dry ingredients.

Beat eggs until fluffy, beat in oil, then sugar add carrots.
fold in dry ingredients.

bake for 40 min or until done – I found it needed 50, but my oven and your oven…?

cream cheese frosting (Oh I love this frosting! the instructions actually tell you to taste the frosting as you go!)

2 8 oz packages cream cheese (softened)
1 stick of butter (softened)
1 t vanilla extract

beat together until fluffy. Add enough powdered sugar (gf of course) until it tastes just sweet enough, but not too sweet (see, you are supposed to taste the frosting!)

I actually got fancy and piped a border on the cake edge this year; it covered up the bare spots I couldn’t get with the spatula.