White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake (Gluten-Free)

How does White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake sound to you? Easy to make and totally delicious, this is the perfect dessert for Easter Sunday or any time of the year! This recipe originally came from Sachi of Get off the Couch and Cook food blog. Thanks Sachi for a great recipe!

Sashi creates recipes that can be made in about the time it would take to order pizza – 45 minutes or less. She uses real ingredients, no substitutes for fat, sugar, etc. preferring to eat less of higher quality  foods.

With Easter coming up I wanted to find a really fun treat, a dessert to make your whole family drool at the sight! Today’s White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake totally fits the bill and I love the humor in serving a carrot cake for your Easter Bunny supper LOL.

I made ours in a 9×13-inch pan (so much easier to transport to your family dinner) but for a more dramatic presentation you can make this in two round cake pans. Traditionally carrot cake is served with frosting between the layers and on the top, but leaves the sides uncovered. Set on a pedestal, this beauty is a joy to behold. You could also use a bundt pan for an easy sculpted dessert. 

I love that this recipe uses vegetable oil and applesauce to replace the traditional butter in the recipe. This makes for a very moist and tender cake and is a great trick if you are trying to reduce your saturated fat intake. The shredded carrots also add moisture, so get ready for one awesome cake!

And speaking of carrots, this is the time to break out the food processor and shredding disc. Trim the carrots and peel, then cut them in half crosswise. This gives you pieces you can stand up in the tube of your processor, making it even faster. Use the pusher while you hold down pulse button and the carrots will be shredded in seconds!

I made changes to convert the recipe to gluten-free so I can enjoy it along with everyone else and added white chocolate – who doesn’t love discovering bites of luscious white chocolate in every bite! Subbing brown sugar for part of the granulated sugar adds beautiful caramel overtones, and using mascarpone for a portion of the cream cheese in the frosting lightens it and makes it The Artist’s favorite frosting.

Another thing The Artist is passionate about is cardamom, so finding ways to include it in my sweet and savory recipes always tickles him. This may seem like a ton of changes, but fundamentally the recipe is the same. See how easy it is to take a great recipe and make it your own!

I hope you enjoy this White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake and consider making it for your Easter celebration. Happy Chocolate Monday!

Key Ingredients for White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake:

• Gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour, xanthan gum (if GF)
• Baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or nutmeg
• Granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil
• Unsweetened applesauce, white chocolate chips, carrots
• Mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla

 

PRO Tip:

Because of the moisture and amount of sugar in the batter, this cake stuck pretty badly to my pan even with butter and a nonstick surface! Next time I will use an insulated pan or set this one on a baking sheet, in effect double panning it, protecting the bottom from getting too hot. Lining the pan with parchment might help as well.

 

PRO Tip:

Practice baking is always a good idea if you are making something for the first time to serve at a party or holiday meal. Work out the kinks first and then you can relax on the big day! This cake can be made a day ahead, but wait to frost it until the day you are serving it. It will save you time and hassle on party day.

 

How to make White Chocolate Studded Carrot Cake:

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together
2. Mix the sugars, eggs, oil, and applesauce; slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined
3. Stir in the white chocolate and carrots
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes; cool completely
5. Beat the mascarpone and cream cheese until smooth; slowly add the powdered sugar then the vanilla, beating until light and fluffy
6. Frost the cooled cake, cut and serve

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Food processor
• Box grater
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Kitchen scale
• 9×13-inch baking pan

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend like my favorite. And optionally, if it is safe for your friends and family, using almond or hazelnut meal for a portion of the total flour amount (usually 1/2 to 1 cup) will give you more flavor and texture that is a little reminiscent of wheat flour. It is a secret weapon in gluten-free baking!

 

 

 

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Here are more recipes from The Secret Recipe Club just for you!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in March 2016. The article was updated in 2021.