Carrot Cake - Gluten Free

With so many people concerned about gluten today, here is a recipe for you.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Dry ingredients:
¾ cup gluten free flour
½ cup certified gluten free oat flour (subtitute standard gluten free flour)
¼ cup vanilla protein powder (optional)*
¼ cup granulated sweetener of choice (can use stevia baking blend)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
1 egg, lightly whisked (substitute a flax egg for vegan)
1 T coconut oil, melted
½ cup Greek yogurt (substitute dairy free yogurt for vegan)
1/4-1/2 cup+ dairy free milk of choice**
Other
2 large carrots, grated
½-1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9 x 9 inch loaf pan (or as my mum does it, in a deep baking dish) generously with oil or butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the egg, coconut oil and Greek yogurt and mix until combined.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. Stir through the grated carrots and chopped walnuts until fully incorporated.
Pour mixture into the greased loaf pan (or baking dish) and bake in the oven for 40- 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Test the cake by inserting a skewer or knife in the very centre and ensuring it comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack before slicing

Notes: This carrot cake can be sliced and frozen and simply thawed before consumption
Depending on the flour you use, the mixture may be slightly too crumbly - Add in the dairy free milk if needed until a very thick batter is formed.
Thanks to www.thebigmansworld for the recipe

Birthday Cake for Margaret Pogue

Carrot Cake is always good for any occasion. Many Historical League members have summer homes in the mountains. Margaret Pogue celebrated her birthday in the cool pines with Sharon Montegary (in background), Zona Lorig and Linda Fritsch.

CARROT CAKE Recipe from Past President Sharron McKinney

Ingredients:
1 ½ C. oil
2 t. baking powder
4 eggs beaten
1 ½ t. salt
2 C. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 C. flour
2 t. baking soda
3 C. grated carrots
1 C. chopped nuts

Directions:
Beat oil and eggs until blended. Add rest of ingredients and mix. Stir in carrots and nuts.
Pour into 9X13 greased and floured baking pan. Bake in 350° oven 45” or until golden. Use a toothpick to check. May take a little longer to cook depending on oven. You can also use a large sheet pan (12X18) to make the cake less deep. Bake 40 minutes and check.


CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
½ C. softened butter
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Directions:
Beat cheese and butter until fluffy. Add sugar gradually until mixed.
Add vanilla and beat 5”. Makes enough to frost top and sides, if you chose
to remove from pan. If using a sheet pan, I leave it in the pan and frost top only.

Freezes well.

Zucchini Apple Carrot Bread

Eat your vegetables. No problem. Especially when the veggies are in this delicious quick bread with a blend of zucchini, carrots, apples and raisins. Carrot bread recipe on page 197 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook is a good one. The recipe below adds even more vegetables.

Zucchini Carrot Apple Bread

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

3 eggs

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/2 cup plumped yellow raisins

1 cup finely diced, peeled apples

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Drip Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Orange juice as required

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 X 4 inch loaf pans or one Bundt pan. This recipe can also make 18 to 24 muffins. Place pans on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.

In a mixer bowl, blend the sugar, butter, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter along with the shredded carrots, zucchini raisins apples and walnuts. Spoon into prepared pan(s).

Bake until done, about 1 hour, or until loaves spring back when gently touched with fingers. Cool to room temperature before icing.

Cream Cheese Drip Frosting - Place the cream cheese, butter, and most of the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor or mixer bowl. Blend, adding more of the confectioners’ sugar and drizzling in a bit of orange juice to make it a soft, fluffy topping. Add more confectioners’ sugar or orange juice if necessary for smooth consistency. Frost top of loaf or cake, it will drip down the sides, and garnish with shredded carrots and a dusting of cinnamon before serving.

Makes 8 to 12 servings. Freezes well.

Carrot Bread at Master Gardener Class

League Member Bonnie Newhoff contributed many recipes to the cookbook but this is a favorite. My entire kitchen spelled wonderful when I simmered the carrots and spices. It was like a sweet 'carrot soup.' Debbie Brooks, an intern in my Master Gardener class, bought another cookbook after class. Her neighbor also enjoyed the aroma of freshly baked carrot bread when Debbie made it and wanted a book herself. (This book is so easy to promote. It sells itself.)

Carrot Bread page 197

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup grated carrots (about 3 large ones)
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

Combine the sugar, water, butter, carrots, raisins, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Let stand until room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 5 X 9 inch loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 1 loaf