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gluten-free carrot cake with white frosting and carrot decorations on top

Gluten-free Carrot Cake (Perfect Texture, So Moist!)

Author Erin Dooner
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 slices
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes
This gluten-free carrot cake is perfectly spiced, fluffy and nobody will have a clue that it’s missing the wheat! With a delicious, slightly less sugary cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups (272 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour see notes
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs 50 grams each, out of shell, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar or coconut sugar
  • 3/4 cup (183 grams) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) olive oil or canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 14.5 oz (410 grams, about 3 1/2 to 4 cups) grated and peeled carrots

For the frosting:

  • 18 ounces (510 grams) full-fat cream cheese room temperature
  • 4.5 tablespoons (63 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the bottom of three 8″ pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    2 cups (272 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla and mix until combined.
    4 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, 3/4 cup (183 grams) unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup (118 ml) olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined.
  • Then fold in the carrots, again only until combined.
    14.5 oz (410 grams, about 3 1/2 to 4 cups) grated and peeled carrots
  • Bake for 19-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, and then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
  • Frost when completely cooled.
  • Prepare the frosting.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until well combined. It's okay if it looks a little crumbly.
    18 ounces (510 grams) full-fat cream cheese, 4.5 tablespoons (63 grams) unsalted butter
  • Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally combined and then beat in the salt and vanilla. Frost the cake with about 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup per layer and the remaining frosting on the sides. If you bake the cake and prepare the frosting in advance and want to refrigerate the frosting, note that it gets quite firm, like a cream cheese tart filling. If that happens, just bring it to room temperature, stir and then frost. The frosting firms up once refrigerated so if you want the softer frosting texture (rather than a cream cheese tart filling kind of texture), let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
    1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar, pinch salt, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Store the iced cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the un-iced layers wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • If you're not gluten-free, you can use whole wheat or all-purpose flour.
  • Note that it's best to weigh coconut sugar! Some brands are light and coarse, and some brands (like the one I use) are very fine and dense.
  • The recipe makes enough frosting to frost it like in the pictures, with about 2/3 cup on top of each layer and some frosting for the sides. If you just want to frost the top of each layer, use 12 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
  • We have a different type of cream cheese in the US than the rest of the world (as far as I know) that's firmer and meant for baking, rather than for toast, like in Europe. For 8 ounces (225 grams) of cream cheese, buy a 300-gram package (the stuff at Aldi, Lidl, etc. works just as well as Philadelphia), put it in the center of a clean tea towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze out the liquid until you have 225 grams of cream cheese. You can now make cream cheese frosting without issue. So for this recipe, buy 675 grams of cream cheese and squeeze out the liquid until you have 510 grams.
  • The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
  • Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's carrot cake recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 381mgPotassium: 153mgFiber: 3gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 4882IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 44
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