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Mini Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Whenever an entire cake is too much but you want to serve something special, make this 4-1/2-inch gluten free carrot cake. People say, “It’s the best carrot cake I ever had!”
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Ingredient Keyword Carla's Gluten Free Self-Rising Cake Flour Blend, carrots
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Carla's Self-Rising Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend Recipe (see above link)
  • 1/2* teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg at room temperature (or 2 tablespoons liquid from can of cannellini beans + 1 tablespoon add'tl oil)
  • 1/4 cup (+ 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light/golden brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil plus more for pan
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped or grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans optional (or walnuts)
  • 2 tablespoons golden or brown raisins optional (I did not use any.)
  • 1 recipe Gluten Free Cream Cheese Frosting or Vanilla American Buttercream

Instructions

  1. Prepare and measure all of your ingredients. Line the bottom of three 4-1/2-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, anchoring them with a little oil. (I used springform pans.) Spray the inside of the pan with oil; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour blend, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

  3. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the egg 1 minute on high speed or until quite foamy.

  4. Add the sugar and beat for 1 more minute.
  5. Drizzle in the oil, a little at a time, while beating on medium speed. The mixture will thicken.
  6. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
  7. Add the dry mixture all at once and beat on medium-low speed, just until the dry ingredients are moist. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  8. Using a rubber/silicone spatula, fold in the carrots, and nuts and raisins, if using.
  9. Distribute the batter evenly between the three pans, about 1/2 cup per pan.
  10. Bake on the center rack of your oven for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. You’ll also notice that the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  11. Place the pans on a cooling rack for 2 minutes, remove springform ring if using. Allow to cool until you can comfortably remove the ring and the bottom of the springform pan. Remove the parchment and allow the cakes to cool completely directly on the wire rack.
  12. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting of your choosing.
  13. Once cooled, trim off any domed tops so that each layer lies flat. Frost the cake as desired. You may add garnish with a fresh baby carrot lying on top of a carrot top sprig. Alternatively, garnish the edges with finely chopped nuts. If you are good at cake decorating, create a carrot out of orange and green colored frosting or marzipan. Refrigerate until ready to serve to allow the frosting to set. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Slice and freeze individual slices for long-term storage.

Tips

*Scant = a little less than.