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Packed full of walnuts and tangy craisins, this moist gluten-free carrot cake with decadent lemon cream cheese icing is the ultimate sweet and spicy treat.  Recipe is suitable for baking as a cake or muffins.  Equally tasty sans the icing.


1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup sunflower or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup craisins

Whole walnuts, extra

Serves 8-12


250g cream cheese, softened

65g butter, softened

5 tablespoons lemon juice

5 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

5 cups (800g) icing sugar

Makes approx 4 cups


  1. Preheat oven to 180C.

  2. Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper, grease well.  Alternatively, line a muffin tin with paper cups.

  3. Sift baking mix, spices and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

  4. Add all remaining ingredients and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is just combined - don't over mix it.

  5. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and smooth the surface.

  6. Bake cake for approximately 55-60 minutes (30-45 minutes for muffins).  The cake / muffins are cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

  7. Remove from the cake tin and allow cake / muffins to cool.

  8. Serve as is or with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing.

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing


  2. Add icing sugar one cup at a time.  Beat until creamy.

  3. Add more icing sugar or lemon juice as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Note: This yielded an obscene amount of icing - possibly half the amount would have been sufficient for the size of this cake.  But if you have a sweet tooth and not concerned about your waistline, then what the heck, spread it thick, spread it all!


[Recipe by Franciska  - adapted from Healtheries Scrumptious Carrot Cake recipe.]