Nigella Lawson’s Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrots are carrots, how can you have them in cakes? That had been my attitude all along. I have scorned at the prospect of Carrot Cakes for as long as I can remember. As if Gaajar ka Halwa wasn’t enough, you now want to make a cake with carrots! But of course that disdain was propelled by inexperience. I had never tasted a Carrot Cake and was not even keen on tasting one.And then I landed in Green Park, New Delhi. My office was right next to the buzzing outlet of Costa Coffee. After trying and testing many of their desserts (and of course coffees) I finally decided to let go of my inhibition and get a carrot cake. And that changed my world. Since that day, I had NEVER had anything else at Costa Coffee.

Months later my parents had come for a visit to Delhi. I got a couple of Chocolate Fudge Cakes for them and some Carrot Cakes. The chocolate chauvinist that my Mom is she refused to even look at the Carrot Cake and went on devouring the chocolate ones. After repeated pleas, she decided to take a tiny bite, and lo, even she became a convert! When I was back in Calcutta, she kept on asking me every second week, “When are you baking that carrot cake next?”

I did bake it for her a number of times back in the day. Also for my friend K on her wedding shower (is that even a thing?). Both loved it. Needless to say, I did too! 🙂After landing in Seattle a couple of months back, I learnt that my SIL (who lives barely a mile away) adored a dense, moist carrot cake. I am always on the lookout for Carrot Cake partners (it’s way too rich to eat just by yourself) and with this aim in mind, got a huge bag of carrots. But when your kitchen is scattered with fancy gadgets like an air-fryer, a coffee-maker and a stand mixer, among other things, you sometime tend to forget the basics! And after carrying that huge bag of carrots home, I realised I had no grater! I ordered one from a renowned store here with a few other things, but the delivery date kept on getting delayed. Maybe it was a good thing. I finally got it last week and with Bhai PhNota round the corner, it was the just the cake I wanted to bake for her. What made the timing even more perfect was the cozy and comforting weather of Fall: the nip in the air, the rains, the shorter days and cooler evenings, the softness of your woolens hugging you. The slight warmth of the Pumpkin Pie Spice that is infused in this carrot cake makes it an almost perfect Fall treat. Coffee in one hand, book in the other, looking out of the window to a riot of colors and biting into this heavenly carrot cake. Can life be more perfect?

Nigella Lawson's Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 30 Min Cooking Time: 50 Min 50 Min

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• For the gluten free carrot cake:
• Olive oil, (not extra-virgin): 1/2 cup
• Caster sugar: 3/4 cup
• Carrots, grated: 2 cups
• Raisins: 1/3rd cup
• Walnuts, chopped roughly: 1/3rd cup + a handful for garnish
• Brandy/ dark rum: 1/2 cup (I used brandy)
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Eggs: 3
• Almond meal: 2.5 cups (Almond meal is nothing but finely ground almonds into a powder)
• Pumpkin pie spice: 1 tsp (I used Trader Joe's, you can substitute with 1 tsp of cinnamon powder + grated nutmeg + ginger powder )
• Baking powder: 1.5 tsp
• Baking soda: 0.5 tsp
• For the cream cheese frosting: (Will give you slightly more than what is required for the cake)
• Cream cheese, softened at room temperature: 340 gm
• Butter, softened at room temperature: 50 gm
• Heavy cream: 2-3 tbsp
• Icing sugar: 3/4th cup
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp

METHOD

For the cake:
1. Soak the walnuts and raisins in the rum/brandy for 4-5 hours or overnight before you start with the cake.

2. Grate the carrots finely and press them with a kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around it and press to drain out the excess water.

3. Mix the baking powder and baking soda with the almond meal. Set aside.

4. In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degree C/350 degree F and line the base of a round spring form cake pan with a parchment paper and grease the sides with butter/cooking spray.

5. In a stand mixer or by hand whisk, beat together sugar and oil until creamy.

6. Add the eggs one by one and keep whisking in between each addition. Add vanilla and beat the entire thing till pale and fluffy.

7. Fold in the almond meal bit by bit (I normally do it in three rounds).

8. Now fold in the grated carrots and dry fruits which had been soaking in the alcohol (along with the remaining alcohol). Add the pumpkin pie spice powder. Keep folding in after each addition to check the consistency of the batter.

9. Tumble the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes till golden or till a cake tester comes out just about clean. The cake should be dense and moist, not light and airy.

10. Cool it on the wire rack for 20-30 minutes before unmoulding.

For the cream cheese frosting:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or by a hand held mixer, start whipping the softened cream cheese for 3-4 minutes till light and fluffy.

2. Add the butter, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and continue whipping until it becomes smooth.

3. Add the heavy cream and whip for 2 minutes more till the texture is luscious and satiny.

4. Smother over the gulten-free carrot cake, the more rustic the better. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts. Cut a slice and help yourself!