Home Nut-Free Carrot Cake

Nut-Free Carrot Cake

by Sarah Racine

Avatar photoAuthorSarah Racine
DifficultyIntermediate
Yield = one half sheet cake or two 9" rounds

A perfectly spiced, delightful carrot cake that is perfect without additions or amazing with sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, or even pumpkin seeds.

No electric mixer is required because oil is the fat for this recipe, giving you a tender and easy cake.

Prep Time30 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time1 hr
Wet Ingredients
 5.50 oz brown sugarlight or dark ok
 5.50 oz white granulated sugar
 4 eggs
 1 cup vegetable oil
 1 cup buttermilk
 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
 2 tsp vanilla extract
 1 lb fresh grated carrotapprox. 3 cups
Dry Ingredients
 12.50 oz AP flour
 1.50 cups blitzed coconut flakes, toasted pumpkin seeds, or toasted sunflower seedsoptional
 2 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp baking soda
 1 tsp kosher salt
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tsp ground ginger
 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature1 block
 8 oz unsalted butter, softened2 sticks
 1 lb powdered sugar
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tsp ground ginger
  tsp fine salt (iodized, sea, or kosher)
Oven Prep
1

350F, or 325F convection, middle rack for the half sheet or upper and lower racks for the two rounds.

Grease and line the bottom of a large sheet pan or two round pans with parchment paper.

Mixing
2

In a 5-6 quart bowl, mix in this order.

-Sugar, brown sugar, eggs- whisk until smooth, for 30 seconds

-Oil, whisk slowly until emulsified (no pooling of grease in batter when you stop mixing), for 45 seconds .

-buttermilk, ginger, grated carrot, and vanilla extract 30 seconds .

-Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg) and whisk in a separate bowl for 30 seconds to combine. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.

-Switch to silicone spatula or wooden spoon before mixing dry ingredients!

-Gently stir in dry ingredients until dough just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.

Resting
3

Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes, to let the gluten relax before baking.

Baking & Cooling
4

Bake until middle of the pans are set, 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan after 12 minutes.

The cakes should pass the skewer test and spring back completely if lightly touched in the center. I strongly recommend rotating your pan half way through baking to ensure an even bake.

After baking, let the cake rest in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the outer edge of each pan, and carefully flip the pans over to remove the cakes onto a plate or board.

Let cool completely before frosting, about 2 hours. You can freeze your cake, tightly wrapped in saran wrap, at this point and decorate at a later date as well.

Decorating & Serving
5

To make the frosting, combine all frosting ingredients in a 5-6 quart bowl and electric mixer with paddle attachment, and pulse mixer to combine slowly for 10 seconds.
Continue mixing on medium high for 3 minutes until frosting consistency is light and spreadable. If needed, add an additional teaspoon of hot water until the desired consistency is reached.

On the first cooled cake layer, use an offset spatula or silicone spatulas to spread 1/2 cup of the frosting until its evenly distributed. Place the other layer on top, and spread another 1/2 cup on the top of the cake all the way to the edge of the cake until it barely lops over the side. Then, adhere a 1/4 cup of icing on the vertical edge of the cake at a time, and spread it 1-2 inches across the edge, repeating until the entire vertical edge is iced. Spread and smooth the icing out until your desired look is achieved.

Cut the cake into 12 pieces (or bigger, or smaller if desired), cutting the round in half repeatedly until the desired number of slices have been cut.

Category,

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients
 5.50 oz brown sugarlight or dark ok
 5.50 oz white granulated sugar
 4 eggs
 1 cup vegetable oil
 1 cup buttermilk
 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
 2 tsp vanilla extract
 1 lb fresh grated carrotapprox. 3 cups
Dry Ingredients
 12.50 oz AP flour
 1.50 cups blitzed coconut flakes, toasted pumpkin seeds, or toasted sunflower seedsoptional
 2 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp baking soda
 1 tsp kosher salt
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tsp ground ginger
 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature1 block
 8 oz unsalted butter, softened2 sticks
 1 lb powdered sugar
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tsp ground ginger
  tsp fine salt (iodized, sea, or kosher)

Directions

Oven Prep
1

350F, or 325F convection, middle rack for the half sheet or upper and lower racks for the two rounds.

Grease and line the bottom of a large sheet pan or two round pans with parchment paper.

Mixing
2

In a 5-6 quart bowl, mix in this order.

-Sugar, brown sugar, eggs- whisk until smooth, for 30 seconds

-Oil, whisk slowly until emulsified (no pooling of grease in batter when you stop mixing), for 45 seconds .

-buttermilk, ginger, grated carrot, and vanilla extract 30 seconds .

-Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg) and whisk in a separate bowl for 30 seconds to combine. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.

-Switch to silicone spatula or wooden spoon before mixing dry ingredients!

-Gently stir in dry ingredients until dough just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.

Resting
3

Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes, to let the gluten relax before baking.

Baking & Cooling
4

Bake until middle of the pans are set, 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan after 12 minutes.

The cakes should pass the skewer test and spring back completely if lightly touched in the center. I strongly recommend rotating your pan half way through baking to ensure an even bake.

After baking, let the cake rest in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the outer edge of each pan, and carefully flip the pans over to remove the cakes onto a plate or board.

Let cool completely before frosting, about 2 hours. You can freeze your cake, tightly wrapped in saran wrap, at this point and decorate at a later date as well.

Decorating & Serving
5

To make the frosting, combine all frosting ingredients in a 5-6 quart bowl and electric mixer with paddle attachment, and pulse mixer to combine slowly for 10 seconds.
Continue mixing on medium high for 3 minutes until frosting consistency is light and spreadable. If needed, add an additional teaspoon of hot water until the desired consistency is reached.

On the first cooled cake layer, use an offset spatula or silicone spatulas to spread 1/2 cup of the frosting until its evenly distributed. Place the other layer on top, and spread another 1/2 cup on the top of the cake all the way to the edge of the cake until it barely lops over the side. Then, adhere a 1/4 cup of icing on the vertical edge of the cake at a time, and spread it 1-2 inches across the edge, repeating until the entire vertical edge is iced. Spread and smooth the icing out until your desired look is achieved.

Cut the cake into 12 pieces (or bigger, or smaller if desired), cutting the round in half repeatedly until the desired number of slices have been cut.

Nut-Free Carrot Cake

Leave a Comment