Printable Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe Card
This gluten-free carrot cake is a tasty, crowd-pleasing dessert that's light and tender and topped with an easy, dairy-free cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
For Carrot Cake:
- 310 grams gluten-free flour mix, about 2 ½ cups
- 55 grams almond flour, about ½ cup
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 16 oz carrots, peeled and grated
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 200 grams granulated sugar, about 1 cup
- 200 grams brown sugar, about 1 cup
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup pecans chopped and toasted
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz dairy-free cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature
- 700 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Prepare the carrots by peeling and grating them on the large holes of a box grater.
- In a medium bowl, add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, until light.
- Slowly add in the vegetable oil, while mixing on low. Once oil has been added, turn mixer speed to medium and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low for 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Gently fold in the grated carrots and toasted pecans.
- Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two round 9" baking pans by lining them with parchment paper and spraying them with cooking spray.
- Divide the rested batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 40-50 minutes, checking with a toothpick around 40 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool on wire racks for 15 minutes.
- Turn them out of the pans and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl.
- Add 200 grams of the sifted powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl between each addition of sugar.
- Add another 200 grams of powdered sugar and mix again for 30 seconds.
- Add another 200 grams of powdered sugar and mix again on medium speed.
- Add the final 100 grams and mix on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract and mix for another minute.
- Frost the cooled cake.
Notes
- This recipe was tested with King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour mix.
- Melted coconut oil can be substituted for the vegetable oil.
- Let the batter rest for the full 30 minutes.
- Cake can be made as a sheet cake or cupcakes.
- For sheet cake: Follow the instructions after the resting time. Pour the batter into a 9"x13" pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350ºF for 40-55 minutes. Checking at 40 minutes and adding time as necessary.
- For cupcakes: Place cupcake liners in 24-30 muffin cups. Pour the rested batter into cups, about 2/3 full. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness.
- Frosting may seem like a lot, but it will frost and decorate a 2-layer cake or 24-30 cupcakes. For a 9"x13" sheet cake, cut the frosting recipe in half.
