Drunken Gluten Free, Dairy Free Carrot Cake

A client of mine recently requested a gluten free, dairy free cake for her birthday and I was thrilled at the prospect of the challenge. Luckily she could still have eggs and specifically requested a carrot cake.

It was like being handed a loaded question and how I responded was entirely up to the cake, so, of course, I accepted (I really couldn’t resist) and here is what I came up with: a carrot cake that is unbelievably moist, filled with rum soaked organic raisins, loaded with sweet organic carrots, Vietnamese cinnamon and nutmeg. In lieu of the the cream cheese frosting, I topped it off with classic seven minute, for a feather light finish.

Drunken Gluten Free, Dairy Free Carrot Cake

1 cup dark raisins, organic if available

6 tablespoons dark rum

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup safflower oil, organic if available

4 large eggs, organic if available

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, mexican if available

1/2 cup millet flour, organic if available

1/2 cup almond flour, organic if available

1/2 cup glutinous rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, Vietnamese if available

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons guar gum

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups shredded carrots, organic if available

In a small bowl, pour the 6 tablespoons rum over the raisins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

Preheat oven to 350°F and set the oven racks to the middle position. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake rounds with vegetable spray and then line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the cinnamon and the nutmeg.
Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugars and the oil on medium speed for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and the vanilla and whip on high speed for two minutes of until the mixture is a light, fluffy yellow, and doubled in volume.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and again, whip on high for a minute more.

Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and fold in the shredded carrots and the rum soaked raisins.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back half way through. The cakes are done when the edges of the cake begin to pull from the sides of the pan and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely. It should take at least an hour for the cakes to cool all the way through. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight if assembling the cake the next day.

After the cakes have cooled, make your seven minute icing:

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Flowers and Hands, March 14, 1958
Red Chalk, Crayon and Pastels on Paper
Private Collection, Switzerland
Spanish Master, Later Works Period

Classic Seven Minute Icing

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups water

6 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 teaspoon cream of tarter

In a heavy, non-reactive sauce pan, heat the sugar and the water on medium-high heat until the syrup reads 239°F on your candy thermometer. This will take about 10 minutes.

When the syrup reads 220 °F, begin beating the egg whites in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on high until opaque. Add the kosher salt and continue to whip until white and frothy. Add the cream of tarter. Whip until the egg whites are thick and foamy. By now, your syrup should be ready. With the mixer on high, add the hot syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on high for about seven minutes. The mixing bowl should be cool to the touch.

Take one of your cake rounds and place it on your desired cake stand or serving platter.

Cover the top of this layer with about 3/4 cup of icing. Smooth with an offset spatula. Place the other cake round on top and ice the remainder of the cake.

Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Will keep in the refrigerator for three days. Cover the exposed cake only with plastic wrap as the icing will stick.