Gluten-Free, we stand on guard for thee

My husband's parents recently became Canadian citizens.  To celebrate, I made a cake!  But this couldn't be just any cake.  My mother-in-law 's diet is wheat-free and dairy-free.  So this cake needed to be safe for her but enjoyable for all.  (Wheat free can be quite grainy or just fall apart easily.)

I decided on this carrot cake.  I find that the carrots hold the cake together quite well.  My original recipe called for oil, but I decided to do a combination of oil and apple butter.  (I've got it, why not use it?)  The result?  A pleasingly moist cake that didn't fall apart.  Everyone enjoyed it.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 3/4 cup light olive oil 

• 3/4 cup apple butter

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup rice flour

• 1/3 cup tapioca flour

• 2/3 cup potato starch 

• 2 tsp xanthan gum

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 3 cups freshly grated carrots

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C

Use two round 9-inch cake pans, one 9x13 pan. If using round cake pans, lightly grease and place a circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan for easy removal.

1. Cream sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl with an electric beater or stand mixer. Add oil, apple butter and vanilla and beat just until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until blended.

3. Stir in grated carrots. Pour the batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 

5. When cake is cooled, frost with desired frosting.  (I used the basic Wilton Buttercream recipe with water.)