gluten free carrot cake

Wow! This cake is so good, it is probably illegal in twelve states. Luckily the laws are a little more lax here in Canada. Based on a fabulous recipe from "The Gluten Free Gourmet" by Bette Hagman. Seriously, if you are trying to avoid wheat but love to cook, this book is amazing.

Carrot Cake

2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 450 ml can crushed pineapple including the juice (or like I did... 2 cups of pineapple in the blender for a bit)
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 or 5 large carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, stir together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger & salt.
In your mixer bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, mayo and pineapple. Beat in the flour mixture. Then with a spoon, stir in the carrots and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan & bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Test with toothpick inserted in the middle. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
Lift carefully by the edges of the parchment paper, and slide onto a large cake rack. Let cool while you make the cream "cheese" frosting.

HINT: An easy way to ice a cake is to put it in the freezer for about 1/2 hour so you don't have so many crumbs getting in the frosting as you spread it on.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(makes enough for 2 large cakes! so freeze half for next time)
1 8oz package Tofutti Soy based "Better Than Cream Cheese"
1/2 cup soft butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb icing sugar**
Blend "cream cheese", butter & vanilla until light. Slowly add icing sugar until fluffy. You may have to add a tsp or so of soy milk if it's too thick to spread.

**(be sure to get gluten-free icing sugar if you don't shop in Canada! Roger's brand icing sugar has cornstarch to keep it from sticking, and other countries use wheat flour)