Mini Carrot Cake (gluten free...)
 
This gluten free carrot cake is cute AND delicious! It looks fancy with all it's layers, and difficult with ALL those directions, but it's really simple to make!
Ingredients
The Cake:
  • 1 cup grated carrots (I used 5 organic, aka puny carrots)
  • 1¼ cups almond flour
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
The Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
  • 1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
The Candied Carrot Curls
  • 2 carrots
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
Instructions
  1. Grate the carrots- they should be one level above carrot zest or mush, but still pretty fine. (I used our cheese grater)
  2. Mix all ingredients for cake in a bowl and pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.
  3. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
  4. While cake bakes, make the frosting: mix softened butter & cream cheese with sugar & vanilla in a stand mixer or by hand until smooth and creamy.
  5. Let cake cool completely, then use a large empty can (29oz) to cut 4 round cake layers.
  6. Cut a round piece of parchment paper by tracing the can and put this under the first cake layer on a flat plate- the parchment makes it easy to move your cake to a clean plate or stand later once you're done frosting.
  7. Now, frost! Add a dollop of frosting to first cake layer and smooth with a butter knife to edges, then add another cake layer, and continue until you get to the top!
  8. Garnish with candied carrot curls! Or eat it as is!
Candied Carrot Curls (can be make a few days ahead of time)
  1. Peel outer layer off carrots, then use peeler to peel long/wide slices of carrot
  2. Add water and sugar to pot over medium heat and when sugar is dissolved add carrots.
  3. Turn heat to low and simmer carrots for 15 minutes.
  4. Drain carrots and allow to cool for 10 minutes
  5. Lay carrots out on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes
  6. Remove carrots from oven and wrap around a straw (I used my handy metal one) or spoon handle to get curls. Gently slide off straw and place back on parchment.
  7. Bake curly carrots for another 20 minutes.
  8. Cool completely and use to garnish cake
Notes
I like to pop my cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes after frosting to firm it up- I just cover it with an upside down tupperware/jar so the frosting doesn't get messed up AND so the cake doesn't absorb any weird freezer odors. After it comes out of the freezer, I use a metal spatula to transfer it to my cake stand, parchment round and all!
Recipe by Winston & Main at https://winstonandmain.com/mini-carrot-cake-gluten-free/