Gluten-Free Coconut Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

LARavenscroft's Note:

This is a recipe that I got from the website of Gluten-Free Goddess. It uses Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix. I've made it several times and I've gotta say, it's really good. My wheat eating DD even asked for it for her birthday. If you are GF/CF you can use canned pumpkin or applesauce in place of the yogurt and 2 cups of your flour mix plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

Carrot Cake

• 3 large eggs, organic free-range
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice)
• 2 cups Pamelas ultimate baking and pancake mix
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded (about 4)
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 1/2 pecans, toasted & chopped (or walnuts)

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 -2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar (more, if needed)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (lime or orange)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9" spring-form cake pan.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs; add the oil and beat; add the brown sugar and beat until smooth.
4. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon and spice.
5. Add in the baking mix and beat until combined. (The batter should be a bit thicker than wheat flour batter.).
6. Add in the coconut, carrots, raisins, and nuts; stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
7. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan; and place the pan in the center of a pre-heated oven.
8. Bake until the cake is firm, and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean, about 40-45 minutes (or longer if necessary).
9. Cool on a wire rack and frost with cream cheese icing.
10. For cream cheese icing, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
11. Add the vanilla.
12. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time; squeeze a little lemon (or other citrus) juice into the frosting and beat until smooth.
13. Add more sugar or juice as necessary.
14. Frost cooled cake.

Reviews

[Chef #282696]

This is a delicious cake! I love that it's just enough for a one layer cake but not too small for company either. I used applesauce in place of the yogurt and omitted the nuts. I was afraid to add pineapple, thinking that it would be too moist and fall but I think this cake could have pulled it off easily. Next time. I made 1-1/2 the icing recipe and it was perfect.

[hlotto]

This cake turned out amazing! I made if for my step-mother who has celiacs and not only did she love it...so did the entire family. My husband said this was in his top 5 desserts that I've made. It was very moist and had tons of flavor. Didn't really make any modifications.

[Elisa72]

Wonderful cake! No one ever would have guessed that it was gluten free! I didn't have Pamela's baking mix so used a GF flour mix with the baking soda and baking powder.