Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts and I’ve made a lot of them over the years so when Julianna started looking for a gluten free, egg free carrot cupcake recipe I jumped at the chance. After looking at several and having my mom read her’s over the phone to me, I stepped into the kitchen yesterday with a pen, paper and an idea. I usually write down recipes for baked goods prior to testing them but I took a risk on this one and it paid off. I miss the cream cheese frosting, though, and I’ve yet to find a good dairy free, soy free, cane sugar free substitute.

I scented this cake with orange and added cardamom (one of my favorite spices). The resulting cake was reminiscent of orange spice tea. Substitutions can be easily made. For example, use apple juice instead of orange juice, leave out the orange zest, and use nutmeg rather than cardamom for a more traditional tasting carrot cake. I also used agave nectar and date sugar instead of cane sugar but imagine that 3/4 cup of light brown sugar would work just as well and give the cake a little less density. I didn’t include raisins or nuts but those are also easily added.

Please contact me if you have questions about substitutions. I’ve also included baking instructions below for both a two layer cake and cupcakes even though I tested this recipe with cupcakes.

3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup date sugar
3 Tbs dark agave nectar
2 Tbs grapeseed oil
2 Tbs chia seeds (or flax seeds)
2 tsp psyllium husk powder (or xanthan gum)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp gluten free vanilla
zest of one orange

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare either two 8″ round cake pans with oil and gluten free flour (I recommend sweet sorghum or white rice flour) or fill cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine orange juice and chia seeds. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients (sorghum flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, date sugar, psyllium husk powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom) and whisk to combine. Add orange zest, vanilla, oil, agave, and apple sauce to the orange juice and chia seed mixture. Stir well. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as you go (or using a stand mixer on low speed) until the dry ingredients are combined. Stir in carrots. Pour into the cake pans or spoon into the cupcake liners. Bake cake for 45-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake cupcakes for 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.