October might just be my favorite month of the year. There is one cake that epitomizes Autumn: Carrot Cake. But I’m not going to make the original and classic carrot cake, I’ll make the carrot cake with orange glaze.

The easy recipe for carrot cake — The original carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

It’s tradition to smother carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, but for me, carrot cake is better and healthier when the true flavors of the cake are allowed to shine. So, instead of icing, this carrot cake is finished with an orange marmalade glaze and topped with a sprinkling of orange-and-spice-drenched raisins and pine nuts.

Easy recipe for carrot cake with orange glaze — My homemade orange glaze carrot cake is healthier and better

This Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze is almost guilt-free, as it is low in sugar and free from gluten and dairy. Despite these changes, the cake remains moist and delicious.

You can pair this Carrot Cake with many drinks, such as:

Creamy Vanilla Latte and Moscato enhance the cake’s sweetness
Carrot Cake Martini mimics its flavors.
Ginger Beer or Chai Tea complements the cake’s spices
Orange Mimosa and Pineapple Juice add a refreshing citrusy note
Earl Grey Tea highlights the orange glaze with its bergamot flavor.

Here is my simple carrot cake with orange glaze recipe.

Ingredients

150 ml sunflower oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
100 g light muscavado sugar
175 g gluten-free self-raising flour blend
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
200 g carrots, grated
70 g raisins
1 orange – 2 tsp of zest, 2 of juice.
A few pinenuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180^oC and lightly grease a round springform cake tin.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and sugar until you have a syrupy consistency.
Fold in the flour and spices, incorporating plenty of air, then add the carrots, raisins, orange zest and juice. Stir lightly until they are mixed through evenly. The mixture should be fairly runny.
Pour into the cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 mins. The cake should be golden and springy. Check with a skewer: if it comes out clean, it’s done! Be careful not to overbake, you want it to be moist.
Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Warm some orange marmalade in a pan until just runny, then remove from heat. While the marmalade is warming, mix some more juice from the orange with a little nutmeg in a shallow bowl and soak a couple of handfuls of raisins in the juice.
With a pastry brush, spread the marmalade of the top of the cake and sprinkle on the raisins and pinenuts.
It is wonderful served warm with just a drizzle of fresh cream.