Made to Suffer

I used raisins in all three recipes I present to you below.  "Made to suffer:" I think that was a card title in some Star Wars card game I bought in the early 2000s.  This week at school, I thought of C-3PO saying to R2-D2, we were made to suffer.  I know, I know, before you even start hitting me in the knees with the bag of guilt bricks, I’ve got it covered—I really have nothing about which to complain, relatively speaking.  Besides midterms, thesis, and job search, a few weeks ago I ate some chips that I thought were GF, but they contained wheat, and I have not felt properly well since then.  Then last week I was served a cookie that wasn't GF, though I had asked for a GF one.  Yes, eating wheat really sets me back that badly.

Clove and Olive Oil Carrot Cake

Based on this recipe: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10894?printer=yes

Cake:

1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 8 ounces of baby carrots or 2 medium carrots)

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

2/3 cup organic sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional; I’ve been baking for a nut-allergic person lately, so I didn’t include them)

1 banana, frozen and thawed (and the thawing juices)

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup applesauce

Icing:

1 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tsp hot water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Oil a 9” round pan, insert a layer of waxed paper to cover the bottom, and re-oil.  In food processor, shred the carrots.  In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (including raisins).  In a large measuring cup, mash the banana with the oil and applesauce.  Add wet to dry, stir a bit, and fold in the carrots.  Mix until combined (watch for dry spots; add more applesauce a tablespoon at a time if the mixture seems really dry).  Transfer to the pan and spread to the edges.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake browns a little on top, the top springs back when touched, it passes the toothpick test, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack or plate.  Combine the water with the vanilla and sugar until the glaze is spreadable.  Pour glaze on top of warm cake.  Once the cake is completely cool, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Since it has chickpea flour, I highly discourage you from serving this cake warm.  If you’re a seasoned GF-er and you enjoy eating chickpea flour in sweets (like me), then by all means eat the cake warm.  It’s pretty sturdy after only fifteen minutes out of the oven.

I find chickpea flour reassuring in commercial GF baked goods; I can tell someone’s not trying to slip me wheat on first bite rather than having to poke my stomach for a while and ask, is my stomach pooched out from bloating or am I just getting fat?