Gluten-free Spicy Carrot Cake with Cheesy Layer

Today was a very good friend's 55th birthday (love you Babbitt).  I know he likes carrot cake so I thought I'd try and be a little creative.  I think the result was pretty good. 


 It's basically a spice cake with carrots in it along with a yummy cream cheese layer and of course cream cheese frosting!  And, it has none of the yucky stuff like raisins or pineapple :)  Of course, if you can't do the cream cheese it would be great without it and a powder sugar glaze instead of the frosting...but where's the fun in that :)


 Be sure you have a large bundt pan or it will overflow! And, no one at work realized it was gluten-free.  Seems like a winner to me.


Gluten-free Spicy Carrot Cake with Cheesy Layer


Cake Part:
1 3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c vegetable oil (I used olive)
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
2 c or to be more accurate 10 oz. gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 c peeled, grated carrots


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil and flour a large bundt pan (I have to admit I used PAM with flour because Mom left it here after this weekend and it worked great).  


Beat sugar and oil until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla.  Sift all of the dry ingredients together and mix well.  Add to the liquid mixture and mix well.  Stir in carrots.
Pour into the prepared pan.


Cheesy Part:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt


Use the same bowl and mixer...It won't hurt anything.  Mix all of the cheesy ingredients until well combined.  Drop into the cake batter in the center.


Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes until it starts to pull away from the edges and a toothpick or something sharp like that comes out clean.


Let cool in the pan at least 10 minutes if not a little longer.  Turn out onto a plate.  A little will likely stick in the pan.  Scoop it out and pat it back into place.  You're just going to cover it with frosting anyway and no one will know but you!


Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting or use the recipe below as a starting point...sometimes you need to add more sugar!


Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c butter (at room temperature)
8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix well.