This truly is the best gluten free carrot cake recipe! It’s made in one bowl, incredibly moist, full of fresh flavor and so easy to make. Top it off with a dairy free cream cheese buttercream frosting.
I told ya’ll I was on a major cake kick, so next up is this gluten free carrot cake! It’s seriously moist, full of fresh spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and finished off with a simple dairy free cream cheese buttercream.
I’m seriously obsessed with this recipe, and know you will be too. I probably say this about every gluten free cake I make, but you TRULY would never know this is gluten free.
It’s made with both gluten free all purpose flour to provide structure and a classic cake texture, plus a bit of almond flour for moisture and because it keeps the cake light and airy and not dense.
We’ll be using a generous amount of apple sauce to provide natural sweetness, and it pairs SO well with the spices in this cake.
Before we get started, how do you feel about nuts in carrot cake? Personally, it’s a no for me.
In carrot muffins or a carrot loaf, I can definitely see adding chopped walnuts, but I think it can ruin the texture and experience of cake! You are welcome to throw some into the batter, however, if that’s your thing 🙂
How to make gluten free carrot cake
GRATE CARROTS. Peel your carrots and cut into large chunks. Add to a food processor and process until grated, this should only take a few seconds, just make sure there are no large chunks in there.
You can also grate by hand, but I find the food processor makes it much easier! Set aside.
PREP PANS. Line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. I like using these parchment rounds.
MIX WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together all wet ingredients until well combined and the egg is completely broken up.
ADD WET INGREDIENTS. Beat in the dry ingredients (aside from the carrot), making sure to spoon and level the flours. Once combined, fold in the carrots until evenly incorporated. If you’re using walnuts or raisins, fold them in now!
BAKE. Divide the batter among your prepared cake pans and place in the center of the oven. For 8 inch pans, bake for 38-42 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cakes made in 9 inch pans will be a bit thinner, so bake time will be shorter, check around 35 minutes for doneness.
COOL. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
FROST. Make the cream cheese frosting and frost the cakes once completely cool. I usually use about 1 cup of frosting between each layer, one cup on top, then the rest for the sides.
How to keep gluten free cake moist
One question I get a lot is, “how do I keep my gluten free cake moist?” People seem to think that gluten free cakes are dry, but I promise, this cake is far from it.
The apple sauce, oil, sugars and almond flour in the recipe will keep it moist for several days, so you can easily prep it in advance.
With that said, please do not sub the almond flour for almond meal. Almond meal is made from whole almonds, whereas almond flour is made from blanched almonds and contributes to the light and fluffy texture of the cake.
How to store
Because this gluten free carrot cake is naturally so moist, it stores really well. Once made, frosted and sliced, just store it in a container for 3-5 days, or a bit longer if storing in the fridge.
Because of the generous amount of apple sauce in the cake, it doesn’t do well in a totally air tight container.
It can get a bit too moist if totally sealed off. Keep the lid slightly ajar or just cover with foil for best results.
You can freeze the cooked cake layers before frosting as well. Just be sure to let it cool completely, then wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegan or dairy free?
This cake is naturally dairy free (as are all of my recipes!). But you can use regular cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese in the frosting.
Since this recipe uses 4 eggs, that is above my limit for safely subbing a egg replacer, so I do not recommend making this cake vegan. I’d recommend an already vegan and gluten free carrot cake like Gimme Some Oven.
Can I make a sheet cake?
Yes! This recipe makes a two layer 8 or 9 inch round cake, (I just made an extra layer for the photos), but you can easily make a sheet cake instead.
However, a sheet cake will require a longer baking time, probably about 45-50 minutes. If you try it, let me know!
Can I make it in advance?
Yes! I would suggest making this cake up to 24 hours in advance, letting the cakes cool completely, then carefully but tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to frost!
Can I make it nut-free?
This recipe does call for almond flour, but you can make it nut free if needed. You cannot swap almond flour for all purpose flour 1:1. However, you can swap the one cup of almond flour for 1/2 cup more gluten free all purpose flour.
Can I use store bought shredded carrots?
You can but I don’t recommend it! If you use a food processor the process of grating is SO easy. I promise it will be worth it in the final cake.
Can I make it refined sugar free?
You can swap the white sugar and light brown sugar for coconut sugar if you want a refined sugar free option.
However, the cake will be very dark and the texture may be slightly different. I do not recommend a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
Try these cake recipes next!
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Gluten Free Carrot Cake
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- 4 eggs
- 1 scant cup unsweetened apple sauce essentially, one barely level cup, make sure it's not over-flowing
- ⅔ cup oil any neutral oil will work
- ¾ cup granulated cane sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- 3 cups finely grated/shredded carrots about 5 large carrots
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting click for recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel your carrots and cut into large chunks.
- Add to a food processor and process until grated, this should only take a few seconds, just make sure there are no large chunks in there. You can also grate by hand, but I find the food processor makes it much easier! Set aside.
- Line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans (I used 8 inch and made an extra layer) with parchment paper. I like using these parchment rounds.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together all wet ingredients until well combined and the egg is completely broken up.
- Beat in the dry ingredients (aside from the carrot), making sure to spoon and level the flours, don't pack them in.
- Once combined, fold in the carrots until evenly incorporated.
- Divide the batter among your prepared cake pans and place in the center of the oven.
- For 8 inch pans, bake for 38-43 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (I do 40 in my oven). Cakes made in 9 inch pans will be a bit thinner, so bake time will be shorter, check around 35 minutes for doneness.
- Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Make the cream cheese frosting and frost the cakes once completely cool. I usually use about 1 cup of frosting between each layer, one cup on top, then the rest for the sides.
Kathleen says
This cake is awesome! I’ve had to be gluten free for 20 years (way before it was cool 😉) and have struggled to bake things that have the taste and texture I remember. This cake is perfect. Carrot cake is my son in law’s favorite cake and he said it was one of the best he’s had, and my daughter’s family typically doesn’t like gluten free. Being an old dairy farmer, of course I made real cream cheese frosting with real butter, but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It also stored really well, another usual problem with other gf recipes. Can’t wait to bake it for my carrot cake snob brother in law!
Thank you so much for bringing some cake joy back into my life!
Claire Cary says
Just made my day! So happy it was such a hit 🙂
Ellena says
I’ve made this carrot cake 3 times now for my daughter with the dairy free cream cheese frosting. It’s turned out perfect every time. The best thing though is that my husband actually eats it-and he always disliked the thought of carrot cake! It’s the wonderful spice flavor that he likes. Thank you for a winning recipe for all tastes.
Claire Cary says
Makes me so happy to hear! Thank you, Ellena!
Taylor says
Followed cake recipe exactly. And it turned out amazing!!!! I made it once as a test, and almost ate the whole cake myself. Not dry at all!! I made it for a large group for Easter, and it was devoured! No one even knew it was gluten free!! I baked it in a 9×13 for 38 minutes, (I used a different frosting recipe…) SUPER delicious! New favorite cake recipe to make!
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Taylor! So glad everyone loved it.
Sarah says
Absolutely fantastic recipe. I made it as a sheet cake and added pecans – it was amazing! Baked in a 9.5 x 13.5 pan for around 45-50 mins and it was perfectly moist inside an the edges weren’t dry. Served 11 people and the leftovers were gone the next day, we couldn’t keep our hands off it. Definitely a new fav. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
YUM, love the addition of pecans! So happy you enjoyed it.
Mary says
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes? If so, do you have a recommended time to bake them?
I need to bring GF cupcakes to a party, and I am eager to try this recipe since there are so many great reviews!
Thanks!
Mary
Claire Cary says
You can definitely make cupcakes! My guess is around 20 minutes, but I’d check starting around 16 minutes and go from there. They’ll be done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Loris says
This cake looks amazing!! I definitely will try it this week. May I ask how you added the drip? Is it a caramel sauce?
Claire Cary says
Yes! I chilled the cake so it was nice and cold, then used my vegan caramel, found here.
Susan says
I would actually give this recipe 10 stars if I could! I made this for a family member who has celiac and everyone loved it! Making it again this weekend and none of us need to eat gluten-free, but it’s the absolute best carrot cake I’ve ever had.
I made it exactly as the recipe states with the exception of almond flour, which I did not have on hand. I used the gf flour with the edited measurement as you direct above. PERFECT! Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Amazing, thank you so much Susan! Happy it was a hit 🙂
Hannah says
Thank you for this recipe! It came out fantastic. I recently had to go totally gf and love bring able to make things I grew up eating and still enjoy them. The final product is perfect!
Carly says
Can I bake this in a 9×13 pan? Thanks!
Claire Cary says
Yes! The bake time will be probably 10-20 minutes longer.
Sarah Deeb says
Is the “cloves” ground cloves?
Claire Cary says
yes!
Crystal says
Hi, I’d like to try this recipe but I bought Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose flour and it has no xantham gum-is that a problem? I’d like to use all purpose flour for the recipe and not use Almond Flour, would that work ok?
Crystal says
I add.. its not Bob red mill 1:1 flour…its the All Purpose so I’m wondering if that will work?
Claire Cary says
No, that flour will not work! You’ll need the 1:1 flour in the blue bag.
Patricia says
When using 3 8” pans did you make extra batter or just divide the existing recipe between the 3 pans?
Thanks
Claire Cary says
I made extra batter! If you want three layers using the existing recipe, use 6 inch pans!
Eileen Alexander says
Can I make and freeze then thaw before I frost for a do ahead?
Claire Cary says
Yes! That should be fine just make sure you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.
Jamie says
One of the best GFree cakes I’ve made yet! This was super moist, a great consistency, and very easy to make. I paired it with a regular cream cheese frosting and it was delicious!
Claire Cary says
Sounds perfect! Thanks for the nice review Jamie!
Brooke says
I have Celiac Disease so I bake everything gluten-free, and when I went hunting for an Easter dessert this year I knew I could count on Eat With Clarity’s amazing recipes! This carrot cake is truly unreal, and one of the best desserts I have ever baked in my own kitchen. The ingredients are simple and the steps are very easy to follow, and it doesn’t take too long to make. I always worry about GF baked goods being too dry, but the applesauce and carrots in this recipe give this cake the perfect moist texture. And the cream cheese buttercream was so simple but enhanced the cake so well. My whole family DEVOURED this cake and most of them don’t eat gluten-free. My brother said he could eat the whole thing in one night – it was truly amazing! Thank you for another great GF recipe Claire!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Brooke, you’re the best! I think most people worry gluten free recipes will be dry, but I’m always trying to prove people wrong with mine! So happy it was a hit!
Julia says
this recipe was great! i added one heaping cup of a mixture of raisins and chopped walnuts and it was perfect.
Claire Cary says
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed it Julia!
Olivia says
This carrot cake was awesome! I made it for my husband’s birthday, and he said it was the best he’s ever had! The icing was a little sweet for me, but I also don’t really like icing that much to begin with. It was a super easy recipe too! I will definitely be making it again!
Claire Cary says
Yay so happy to hear that, thanks Olivia! There’s unfortunately not a good way to make the icing less sweet since it’s mostly just sugar and butter, but maybe a smaller amount will do the trick! So happy you both enjoyed it!
Jenn Saldutti says
Is that Carmel drizzled on the top? Do you have a recipe for that?
Claire Cary says
yes! Find that here.
OLive says
YUM! That is all i have to say! This carrot cake is so moist and delicious! You photos are amazing!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Olivia you’re a sweetheart : )
Trina says
Hi I was wondering if I could add some pineapple to the cake and how much would you recommend. I love pineapple in carrot cake.
Claire Cary says
I think that would work! This cake has a lot of moisture as is, so I would suggest using 1 cup of crushed pineapple, drain it, but decrease the apple sauce to 1/2 cup. I haven’t tried this myself so I can’t guarantee the result, but let me know if you try it!