2½ cups fresh grated carrots (about 1½ large or 4 small carrots)
¼ cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Vanilla sugar for garnish (optional)
FROSTING:
½ pound cream cheese at room temperature
1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
*GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND (This recipe yields 3 cups. You should make at least that amount or even double it and store the remainder in an airtight container for future use):
2 cups white rice flour
⅔ cup potato starch
⅓ cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9X13 cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and kosher salt in a mixing bowl
Beat sugar, oil and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light yellow and then add the vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat together until well combined
Fold in the pineapple, carrots, raisins and nuts, if you are including them
Pour into baking pan, lift and slam pan against the counter a couple of times to ensure batter is spread out evenly and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract
When cake is completely cooled, spread frosting on top and sides.
Recipe by Jackie Ourman at http://jackieourman.com/gluten-free-carrot-cake/