Calling all carrot cake lovers!!! Here is a super delicious, easy, gluten-free version of carrot cake. Because cake loaves are easier and faster to make, they are perfect for parties, kids, or just to have on hand.
After gathering all of my ingredients, I set aside the butter and cream cheese that I need for the frosting. I always set aside my butter and cream cheese several hours before I need it so it has time to soften. In the summer time it only takes about 2 hours to soften, in the winter it might take a couple extra hours. Once I’ve set out all of my ingredients, I preheat the oven, then work on grating my carrots. After I've grated all of my carrots, I go ahead and mix together my dry ingredients. Then I mix together my wet ingredients in a separate bowl. In a large bowl, I mix together my wet and dry ingredients until there are no lumps. Then I chop up my walnuts. I like my walnuts to be on the thicker side, so I only chop them a little bit. I add these to the mix, and fold them into the carrot cake batter. Once my batter is done, I line my loaf pan with parchment paper. I love to line my loaf pans with parchment paper, because it makes the finished loaf so much easier to remove from the pan. I pour the batter into the pan and put it into the preheated oven. After the cake has baked for 40 minutes, I check to see if it’s done by inserting a knife into the middle of the loaf. It's done when the knife comes out clean.
When the cake is done, I pull it out of the oven and set it out to cool. While the cake is cooling, I make the frosting. The first thing I do for the frosting, is add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl and mix it together until smooth using my hand mixer. Then I add my vanilla extract, and half of the powdered sugar and blend it together until smooth. Once that is thoroughly blended, I add the other half of the powdered sugar, and mix that together until the frosting is a smooth consistency. If the cake loaf is still cooling, I will go ahead and put my frosting into the refrigerator until the cake is completely cooled. Once the cake is cooled, I smooth the frosting on the top and add some extra walnuts to the sides. Once it is all put together, I slice it up and serve it. If you are a coffee person, I suggest having a slice with a good cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Loaf
1 cup white sugar
½ vegetable oil
1 ½ cups grated carrots
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
Sprinkle of salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. unsalted , softened butter
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Set out the cream cheese and butter so it can soften while you’re making the cake.
In a large bowl, mix together the white sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt to the bowl and mix until well combined.
Grate your carrots, and add them to the bowl, mixing together until well combined. Chop the walnuts and mix them into the rest of the mixture.
Grease your bread pan or line it with parchment paper, add the cake mixture to the pan and put it into the oven.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, then test to see if it is done by inserting a knife or a toothpick into the center. When the knife or toothpick comes out clean, it is done.
Let it cool completely, then start on the frosting.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Then add the vanilla extract to the mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar while mixing the ingredients together. The frosting is done when everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
Remove the cake loaf from the pan, and spread the frosting on top. You can use frosting tips to add a design, or you can add walnuts along the sides to add more to it.
Cut into slices and serve.