Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line a 9x5-inch (23x13cm) loaf pan with parchment/baking paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to mix everything together into a smooth, fairly thick batter with no flour clumps.

Add the coarsely grated carrots and roughly chopped nuts, and mix them into the batter until they're evenly distributed throughout.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Don't whisk or aerate the mixture, you don't want to incorporate too much air into it.

Spread about ⅓ of the carrot cake batter on the bottom of the lined loaf pan, creating an even layer.

Spoon over half of the cheesecake filling, and spread it out into a fairly even layer.

Dollop on ⅓ of the carrot cake batter, and carefully spread it out into an even layer so it completely covers the cheesecake filling.

Spoon over the remaining cheesecake filling and spread it out into an even layer.

Dollop on the remaining cake batter and spread it out, so that it covers the cheesecake filling as much as possible. Smooth out the top.

Optional extra step: Cut cold butter (straight from the fridge) into very thin strips (about 1-2mm or less than ⅛ inch thin) and arrange them in a line on top of the batter, along the middle.This creates a natural weak spot on top of the cake and thus controls where the cake will crack during baking – and it guarantees a perfect split along the centre every single time.This step is completely optional, and I’ve actually skipped it when making my cake (as seen in the blog post), I really love its slightly more rustic appearance.

Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the cake is well risen, cracked down the centre, golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out without any cake batter on it.Note that the toothpick/cake tester won’t come out clean: you’ll see some cheesecake filling on it, that’s okay. You just don’t want to see any raw or half-baked cake batter on it – if you do, the cake needs longer in the oven. If the cake starts browning too much, cover it with a sheet of aluminium foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until done.

Allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan for about 10-15 minutes, then transfer it out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.It’s very important that you allow the cake to cool

Slice and serve.

The cheesecake swirl carrot cake loaf keeps well in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.