Carrot Cake Balls are not something to make in an evening on a whim after work when you’ve got dinner on the go, and kids homework. However, if you have a Saturday, or don’t mind taking two evenings….definitely worth every minute.  The basic ball recipe goes as follows:

1/2 a cake recipe, baked and crumbled up after cooled
1/2 an icing recipe or 1/2 of a store bought container
mix together and freeze for about 1 hour
form mixture into balls and re-freeze on parchment paper on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes
dip in melted chocolate and refrigerate until fully cooled and chocolate has firmed.

Feel free to put sprinkles in the cake and icing mixture, or after dipping (although this has to be done quickly since the balls are cold, therefore the chocolate starts to harden right away)

Now to make the ones in the picture, you do need Carrot Cake, it’s my favorite, my fiancee’s favorite and my stepdaughter’s favorite, that’s how we ended up making these. Here is the greatest Gluten-Free Carrot Cake:

Ingredients:

• 2 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 C light olive oil OR your  favorite vegetable oil
• 2 C all-purpose gluten-free flour mix*
• 2 t baking soda*
• 2 t gluten-free baking powder*
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t salt*
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 C chopped nuts
• 3 C freshly grated carrots

1. Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C
   Use two round 9-inch cake pans, one 9×13 pan or 36 muffin cups for this recipe. (If using cake pans, lightly grease and place a circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan for easy removal. Use paper lining cups if making cupcakes.)
2. Cream sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl with an electric beater or stand mixer.
3. Add oil and vanilla and beat just until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until blended.
6. Stir in grated carrots and nuts.
7. Pour the batter into prepared pans.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (For muffins, reduce baking time to 30-35 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test.)
9. Cool on a wire rack.

Icing

• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 pkg cream cheese
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 – 3 C powdered sugar

1. While cake or muffins are cooling place butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. When cake is cool frost.

* The Gluten Free flour mixture that I use is Bob’s Red Mill Biscuit and Baking Mix. This flour mixture already contains Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Xantham Gum and Salt. Therefore those ingredients can be left out of this recipe. If you are using an all-purpose flour mixture that does not contain those ingredients, ensure you do not omit them or you will have problems. If you are using a mixture that does not contain Xantham or Guar Gum, ensure you add 1 teaspoon of Xantham Gum to the dry ingredients.

Also note that when I make a 9×13 cake with this recipe, it falls in the middle. This is a fairly dense, VERY moist cake that everyone loves.

One last thing to remember is to check the ingredient listing on ALL of the items you use for your cake, including the Icing Sugar, Baking Soda and Baking Powder for any gluten products. The manufacturers are sneaky, and not afraid to insert it where it’s least expected.

OH! And don’t forget to enjoy….these only lasted 24 hours in my house, and even at the neighbours barbecue, EVERYONE enjoyed them without even realizing the cake had no gluten in it.