This Christmas involved lots of lovely baking gifts from a beautiful new KitchenAid to a mini loaf tin. I’ve found the tin on Amazon if you’d like to buy one (this particular model is non-stick and has loose bases for easy removal of the cakes). I was also given these cute sugar carrots by my grandparents, so it made perfect sense to make some mini carrot cakes!
If I haven’t already mentioned it, I LOVE my KitchenAid, and I honestly don’t know how I’ve managed to bake for so long without one. I’m thinking about getting some of the attachments, as they can be used a spiralisers, to make pasta, to slice, mix, grind, juice, sift – you name it, there’s an attachment for it! If you’ve ever used any I’d love your recommendations, as they are quite an investment.
The carrot cake recipe below is gluten and dairy free, and makes a light, moist sponge packed with flavour. For the icing you can use butter or cream cheese depending on your taste (you’ll need to use butter if you’re dairy-free). For the cakes pictured I used butter and found it to be very tasty (and on the plus side it doesn’t need to refrigerated).
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
Ingredients
- 200 g Gluten free self-raising flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 150 g Light brown sugar
- 150 g Carrot (grated)
- 2 Eggs
- 150 ml Sunflower oil
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
For the icing:
- 100 g Icing sugar
- 100 g Butter (dairy free) or cream cheese (lactose-free)
- 1 Zest of an orange
- 12 Sugar carrot decorations (available from Sainsbury’s)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.
- Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (either by hand or by using a mixer).
- Place into a mini loaf tin (see above for a link to the tin I used), and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Place the cakes on a rack to cool and make the icing.
- Spread onto the carrot cake loaves and decorate with a sugar carrot.
These mini loaves are surprisingly easy to make, and I think the orange icing really complements the cinnamon and carrot flavour of the cake. As always let me know if you give this recipe a try, I love seeing how your bakes turn out!
Also if you have any other ideas for other cakes to try in my mini loaf tin, please let me know in the comments below. I’m thinking mini mocha loaves, double chocolate… Basically an entire afternoon tea selection!
Happy baking,
Alice x
I am interested in trying the carrot loaves. However in my previous experience gluten free flour make the cakes come out dry and crumbly. I was told to add xantham gum. How do you avoid this happening without the xantham gum (is that even low fodmap?) Thank you in advance for taking time to read this.
I often use xanthan in biscuits but I find the oil/fat in this cake makes it come together really well. Not at all dry or crumbly x
Omg I made these gf carrot cakes my husband is so happy they look amazing thank you