Cinnamon Carrot Cake

This year, when I realized that Easter was just around the corner, I knew that I quickly had to come up with a dairy free & gluten free carrot cake recipe that everyone would enjoy. Carrot cake is a classic dessert at the Easter dinner table. However, when you have  family members that follow a gluten free diet, as well as others (like me) that follow a dairy free diet, and some that have no dietary restrictions at all, it can be difficult to find a recipe that will make everyone happy. That is where this recipe comes into play. The last thing people will be thinking after trying this cake is dairy & gluten free. The freshly grated carrots, olive oil, and almond milk bring a rich consistency to the cake, which aren’t weighed down by too many conflicting flavors. Almond flour keeps this cake delicate, while the cinnamon aroma will have people thinking about this cake all day.

Cream cheese frosting is always classically paired with carrot cake. I can’t imagine having one without the other, even while being dairy free. Luckily, Pillsbury Cream Cheese frosting is gluten free and does not use diary ingredients. This should make using this frosting for the cake okay as long as you are not trying to stay away from refined sugars.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup of almond milk
• 1 ½ cups of grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 container of Pillsbury cream cheese frosting

STEPS

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray two round baking pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

2.      Combine 4 cups of almond flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg into a bow and set aside.

3.      In a stand mixer, add the 4 eggs and mix on medium until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and ¾ cup of sugar.

4.      Then add 1 cup of olive oil and ¼ cup of almond milk and let it mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

5.      Slowly begin to add the dry ingredients to the mixer.

6.      Once everything is combined, fold in the 1 ½ cups of grated carrots and ½ cup of chopped walnuts.

7.      Split the batter equally into two round baking pans and bake for 30 minutes.

8.      Once done baking, let the cakes cool on a wire rack.

9.      Remove the cakes from their pans and place one of the cakes onto a serving dish.

10.   Frost the top of the first cake generously with the cream cheese frosting. Place the second cake on top and then generously cover the top of that cake with frosting. Sprinkle left over walnut crumbs (from chopping) on top of the cake to decorate.

11.   Serve & enjoy!