The Curious Frau

Carrot cake is easy to make and although grating the carrots can take a bit of effort, I think the results are well worth it. One of the bad things about trying to stay dairy free is that you can't use cream cheese for frosting the carrot cake. This Browned Butter frosting is the first frosting that I have discovered that melds with the flavors of the carrots and the spices and I think tastes better than cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F

Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Gluten-free flour mix
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Dash cloves
Dash nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

Wet Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
1/4 cup olive oil
5 eggs

4 cups grated carrot

Optional - 1 cup chopped nuts

Preparation

Take your baking pan, oil it thoroughly with olive oil and flour it with rice flour. This makes one bundt pan, a 9"x13" large cake pan, 3 8" cake rounds or 24 cupcakes

Combine oils, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat by hand with a whisk until smooth and light yellow colored. Add dry ingredients in about a cup at a time, mix well after each addition. Add carrots and nuts after all dry ingredients are mixed in.

Put into your oiled and floured baking pans and bake, cupcakes for 20 mins, bundt and large cake pans for 50-60 mins, 3 8" cake rounds 50-60. Cool 5-10 mins in pan on baking rack, invert onto rack or plate and let cool completely before frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting

I got this recipe from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook aka The Red and White cookbook. I made the recipe a little smaller than the one they have listed and changed the milk content. This is the fastest frosting I have ever made, and it is very yummy! But you cannot make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until later, the cake should be frosted with the frosting is still warm.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-6 Tablespoons dairy-free milk

Preparation

In a medium size saucepan melt the butter over low to medium heat until its melted and has turned a light brown color. You will want to stir it occasionally to keep it from browning too quickly or unevenly. When it has turned a nice light brown color, remove from heat and pour into a small mixer bowl. Add all of the powdered sugar and mix. It will look dry and lumpy, don't worry its supposed to be like this. Scrap the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and 2 Tablespoons of the dairy-free milk and mix. If its too dry keep adding dairy-free milk 1 Tablespoon at time until you reach a good spreading consistency. Then beat the frosting on high speed for 1 minute.

This frosting sets up quickly, so frost the cake immediately.