It’s a beautiful, hopeful spring day in the kitchen when you bake this Gluten Free Carrot Cake. Nutty, moist, sweet, and topped with cream cheese frosting, no matter what diet you follow, you’ll adore this carrot cake recipe.
This is carrot cake at its best!
- Fully loaded with a kitchen sink of mix-ins.
- Topped off with a lavish slather of cream cheese frosting.
- Indisputably moist and tender, yet substantial enough to hold a slice, just as carrot cake should.
My goal with this recipe was twofold.
First and foremost, I wanted to bake a killer carrot cake, one that would fill my heart with optimistic feelings of springtime and taste like a happy, celebratory moment.
Second, I wanted my carrot cake to be gluten free, without actually tasting gluten free.
I mean no disrespect to the great GF bakers out there; the problem is that gluten-free cakes disappoint more often than they should.
This one does not. It tastes like a truly, super-duper, incredibly perfect carrot cake!
5 Star Review
“A-mazing. This was the best carrot cake I have ever had, hands down better than any gluten version. This recipe is a keeper, and will make it often!”
— Tcab —
How to Make the Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake
The first thing you’ll notice about this recipe (and what makes it gluten free) is that instead of all-purpose flour, I made this an almond flour gluten free carrot cake.
I’ve eaten my share of carrot cakes (Healthy Carrot Cake) and carrot-cake-inspired recipes (Carrot Cookies; Carrot Cake Muffins), and I think the almond flour actually makes carrot cake taste even better.
Almond flour’s subtle, nutty flavor was made to be incorporated into carrot cake, which traditionally calls for nuts anyway. It’s as if the two were destined to be together all along.
Almond flour is heavier than all-purpose flour (you can’t substitute almond flour directly in a recipe calling for all-purpose flour), so my biggest obstacle with this recipe was ensuring the carrot cake came out tender and fluffy, not dense.
Beating the eggs for several minutes first proved to be the trick, a tip I picked up from Bon Appetit.
Not only did this recipe turn out to be a stellar gluten free carrot cake, if you use a non-dairy cream cheese frosting recipe, it is a slam-dunk dairy-free AND gluten free carrot cake.
That means more carrot cake for all, regardless of your dietary restrictions (or pantry situation).
Everyone deserves to have a fabulous carrot cake in their lives. At the moment, this is mine. I hope it will be yours too!
The Ingredients
- Almond Flour. A fantastic ingredient for gluten free and everyday baking. Almond flour is made of ground almonds, so it maintains the same health benefits that almonds do, such as vitamin E, protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Tip!
Quality here matters—I buy and recommend Bob’s Red Mill. The quality and consistency of almond flour can vary, and Bob’s never lets me down.
- Carrots. The other star ingredient in our carrot cake! Carrots are how you keep a gluten-free carrot cake moist. They also make the cake naturally sweet. Their flavor is further enhanced by the warm spices and maple syrup. Plus, carrots are packed with Vitamin-A and potassium. Carrot cake for breakfast? It’s looking like a good idea.
- Coconut. Another naturally sweet element that also adds texture.
- Nuts. Toasted pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch and savory complement to the sweet flavors in this cake.
- Maple Syrup. Instead of using only refined sugar, I wanted to naturally sweeten this cake with some maple syrup too. The flavor of maple syrup is incredible paired with the warm spices and nuttiness of the almond flour.
- Raisins. I love adding raisins to carrot cake for their chewy texture and sweet flavor. If you’re not into them (they’re decisive, I know!) you can try golden raisins (which are sweeter), dried cranberries, or simply omit them.
- Spices. A spiced carrot cake is a happy carrot cake. I used a classic combination of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for warmth and rich, deep flavors.
The Directions
- Prepare your cake pans with parchment paper, nonstick spray, and lightly dust them with almond flour.
- Toast the nuts at 350 degrees F. Once cooled, chop them into pieces. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy. This is key to making the carrot cake light, so don’t shortcut this step. Add the maple syrup and vanilla.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the carrots, oil, coconut, raisins, and nuts.
- Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the egg mixture. This also will help keep your cake fluffy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting, then pop it into the refrigerator until your cakes are cool. Frost and assemble your cake. I like to keep the sides “naked” for a fun, whimsy look. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Cover the cake, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let come to near room temperature prior to serving.
- To Freeze. Cut your cake into slices, and individually freeze each slice in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 2 months. Remove and thaw slices as desired in the refrigerator. You also can freeze the whole cake or freeze individual layers.
Meal Prep Tip
Cake layers can be baked 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature. The frosting can also be made a day in advance; store it in the refrigerator, then frost the cake a few hours before serving.
With its tender crumb, warm spices, and rich nuttiness, this is my favorite carrot cake. I hope it becomes yours too!
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried making this a carrot cake with pineapple myself, so it would be a total experiment. The extra moisture from the pineapple may cause the cake to be a little more crumbly, but the flavor should be delicious. For a pineapple carrot cake, check out the Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake in my cookbook or this Healthy Carrot Cake.
The difference between a gluten free cake and a normal cake is the use of a gluten free flour. In this cake recipe, we’re using almond flour. Other common gluten free flour options are coconut flour (like in this Coconut Flour Cake) or gluten free baking flour.
Yes, I think this recipe would make scrumptious muffins. Start checking the muffins around the 15-minute mark, tenting the muffin pan with aluminum foil to keep them from browning too much. They will likely need 25 to 30 minutes to bake.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Gluten Free Cake:
- 3 cups almond flour plus additional for dusting pans
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts or pecans plus additional for decorating the cake
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves
- 5 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots about 4 medium or 10 ounces
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup raisins
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then coat with nonstick spray. Lightly dust with almond flour, tapping out excess.
- Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until toasted and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove to a cutting board. Let cool slightly. Measure out ¾ cup, then finely chop for the batter. Reserve the rest for decorating the cake.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and remaining 3 cups almond flour.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar on medium high until pale toasty brown, fluffy, and nearly tripled in volume, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Don’t shortcut this step—it helps make the batter airy). Beat in the maple syrup and vanilla.
- Pat the carrots dry. Place in a clean medium mixing bowl. Stir in the oil, coconut, raisins, and chopped nuts.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one-third of the almond flour mixture to the egg mixture. Once it disappears, add half of the carrot mixture. Add the next one-third of the flour mixture, then remaining carrot mixture, then the last one-third of the flour, fully incorporating after each addition.
- Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake layers until the cake is lightly browned on top, a toothpick inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean, and the tops spring back lightly when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes. The cakes will be a deep golden brown. Place the pans on a wire rack and let cool in the pans 10 minutes. Carefully run a dull knife around the edges to release the cakes, then invert them onto the rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes bake, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smoothly combined, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Continue adding the last 1 cup sugar, until the frosting is as stiff and sweet as you'd like (the more powdered sugar you add, the stiffer and sweeter it will be).
- Add the vanilla, almond, and salt. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until smooth, ultra creamy, and a little lighter and fluffier, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4 full minutes. Refrigerate to firm up a little while the cake continues baking and cools. If it firms up too much to spread easily depending upon how long you keep it in your fridge, let stand at room temperature prior to frosting, until it is easily spreadable.
- Assemble the cake: Trim the domed top of one cake layer so that it is flat, then place the layer trimmed-side up on a serving plate. Tuck strips of parchment paper around the edges to protect the plate from drips. Spread 1/3 of the frosting on top. Top with remaining cake layer, domed-side up. Spread the top with a thick layer of additional frosting. Keep the sides very lightly frosted (think decorative smear). Decorate with remaining nuts as desired.
Video
Notes
- TO MAKE DAIRY FREE: Use your favorite dairy-free or vegan cream cheese frosting recipe.
- TO STORE: Cover the cake, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- TO FREEZE: Cut your cake into slices, and individually freeze each slice in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 2 months. Remove and thaw slices as desired in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Do you have a different icing to use other than cream cheese. I really don’t like the taste of it!
Hi Cathy! Cream cheese works best but you could use your preferred frosting. Enjoy!
Great recipe. My 90 year old mother-in-law loves cake and said it was the best carrot cake she’d ever had!
I did add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk at the final stage, only because the batter seemed like it could use more fluid, and I just happened to have buttermilk in the fridge which is often a good addition.
Thanks though!!
Glad it worked out for you Gail! Thank you for the feedback!
Hi – excited to try this! Do you have a favorite dairy free (or vegan) cream cheese frosting that you recommend?
Hi Colleen! No I’m sorry I don’t have one that I can recommend. Enjoy the cake!
Hi Erin,
I made this for my daughters birthday and oh my gosh it’s so good.
Love the hit of spices and it’s so moist.
It’s become our favourite Carrot cake.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Hi Leigh! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely brilliant recipe. I used carrot pulp I had frozen *left over from my cold pressed juicer. I also used almond flour and pure MCT oil instead of gluten free flour and vegetable oil. I used cream in the middle of both cakes and lemon philly cream cheese butter frosting for topping.
Hi Lainie! That is such a great idea, using the carrot pulp! Glad you enjoyed it!
hi can I add crushed pineapple?
Hi Ismak! I haven’t tried making this a carrot cake with pineapple myself, so it would be a total experiment. The extra moisture from the pineapple may cause the cake to be a little more crumbly, but the flavor should be delicious. For a pineapple carrot cake, check out the Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake in my cookbook (https://amzn.to/3LayP3C) or this Healthy Carrot Cake (https://www.wellplated.com/healthy-carrot-cake-recipe/).
Amazing!!
Hi Jill! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Will this recipe turn out well using a 13×9 pan?
Hi Hildi! I’ve only tested the recipe as is but other readers have used a 9×13 pan with great success. Their tip was to increase the cooking time some. Hope this helps!
Thank you for your reply. I baked in my 13×9 pan for 37 minutes and turned out great. This is an excellent recipe! We really enjoyed it. :)
So great to hear! Thank you Hildi!
This qas my first gluten-free recipe I have tried. It is fantastic! I will make this over and over again for my family!
Hi Michelle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Looking forward to making this as I have Celiac but can it be made in a 9×13 or Bundt pan? I don’t have two rounds!
Hi Connie! I’ve only tested the recipe as is but other readers have used a 9×13 pan with great success. Their tip was to increase the cooking time some. Hope this helps!
Absolutely delicious! Even those that can have gluten loved this. It is my go to for carrot cake!
Can you bake the cake portions in advance and freeze. For a week or two. Thanks, Joleen
Hi Joleen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review! Yes! To Freeze. Cut your cake into slices, and individually freeze each slice in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 2 months. Remove and thaw slices as desired in the refrigerator. You also can freeze the whole cake or freeze individual layers. Hope this helps!