Egg-Free Carrot Cupcakes (with Vegan and Wheat-Free Alternatives)

It's Fall...my favorite time of the year, and although it's still scorching hot here in San Diego, I just want to jump right into October with some seasonal desserts. My first offering this month is the lovely carrot cake. The amber hue of this cake with its orangey flecks of shredded carrots kind of reminds me of autumn leaves.

I made this carrot cake without eggs, nuts or soy, especially for my son. It's a nice moist cake and the tangy cream cheese frosting is sweet but not too sweet.

This recipe does contain dairy and wheat. For wheat-free alternatives: try a mixture of oat flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, rice flour, or sorghum flour. It's really tough to mimic the texture of wheat flour, so I find myself combining at least two of these alternative flours to get the best results.

For dairy-free alternatives: for the cake - substitute the butter with canola oil or margarine, Spectrum organics vegetable shortening or another butter substitute that's suitable for you dietary needs. for the cream cheese frosting - you can subsitute the butter for the any of the choices above. You can subsitute the cream cheese with Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese if you're not allergic to soy. If you are allergic to soy, it's probably best to make my vanilla frosting instead.

For sugar-free: substitute the brown sugar with honey, molasses, maple syrup, stevia or brown rice syrup to taste. for the cream cheese frosting-subsitute the powdered sugar with honey, molasses, maple syrup, stevia, or brown rice syrup to taste.



Egg-Free Carrot Cupcakes
Allergy Note: contains dairy and wheat*

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cups crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
2 cups shredded carrots, firmly packed
2 cups water

*For dairy or wheat alternatives, please read the recommendations I mentioned in my post above :-)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper muffin cups (or grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round pans). Beat together butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy. Mix together applesauce, crushed pineapple and baking soda; add to the brown sugar mixture.

Place the shredded carrots in a microwaveable bowl. Pour in water. Microwave for 2-3 minutes on HIGH. Drain water. Set aside.

Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon and ginger then slowly add to the batter. Stir in shredded carrots. Pour into prepared cake pans or muffin pans. Bake for 15 minutes in muffin pans (30-35 minutes in cake pans), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.

Cream cheese frosting
Allergy Note: contains dairy

8 oz. bar cream cheese, cold
1/2 cup butter , softened to room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, measure then sift

Beat the cream cheese and butter till blended.
Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time.
Once all the powdered sugar is added, increase to a higher speed to whip up the frosting till light and fluffy.

Update:Libby, from The Allergic Kid, is hosting "Thanks for 'Nothing' Thanksgiving Round Up" this year. It's a great opportunity to share recipes and ideas with others who have dietary restrictions like food allergies. I know how challenging it is to find delicious and 'safe' recipes, especially during the holidays, so I hope one of my recipes will find their way in your holiday table.