Hands down the best gluten-free carrot cake around! Easy to make with everyday ingredients and topped with a blanket of fluffy cream cheese frosting. Nobody will guess this is gluten-free!

bite of carrot cake on plate with fork


 

Easter dinner isn’t complete without a delicious carrot cake for dessert! I’ve been making this homemade gluten-free carrot cake recipe for a few years now and it’s always an unbelievable hit. It is light and moist with the perfect tender crumb and hint of spice.

The traditional cream cheese frosting is just the right amount of sweet. It’s whipped until it’s fluffy so it makes a blanket of frosting over the cake. Nobody will guess this great recipe is gluten-free!

I love how easy it is to make sheet cakes! (Like this easy gluten-free chocolate cake.) No stacking layers precariously with frosting. No worrying it will tip over on the car ride over to a friends house.

Just easy-peasy cake made in a 9×13 pan that is no-fuss, portable and always a crowd-pleaser. (However, you could make this a layer cake, if you really wanted to!) For another easy sheet cake try this gluten-free banana cake.

For more gluten-free cake recipes, try this gluten-free lemon cake, gluten-free birthday cake, gluten-free pineapple upside down cake or gluten-free red velvet cake. You also might like these gluten-free pumpkin bars for the fall.

Why You’ll Love this Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

  • Great for special occasions (like Easter)
  • Easy to make, no-fuss recipe
  • Topped with cream cream cheese frosting (that isn’t too sweet)
  • Always light, fluffy, and moist

Check out this collection of gluten-free Easter desserts for more recipes!

9x13 pan of cut gluten-free carrot cake

How to Make Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is surprisingly easy to make-it’s made with simple ingredients, and it’s no different than making a regular carrot sheet cake! The ingredients are basically the same (eggs, sugar, oil, carrots, spices, etc.) except you use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. This is also sometimes called measure-for-measure flour.

Just be sure to pick a flour that contains xanthan gum that acts as a binder. I like using King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour and a little bit of almond flour for the dry ingredients in this recipe.

There are a few tricks for making gluten-free cake in general. For this reason I highly recommend using recipes that are designed specifically to be gluten-free rather than swapping in gluten-free flour for regular flour in a standard recipe.

how to mix together ingredients for carrot cake

STEP 1: You start by beating together the eggs, white sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can use the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand mixer for this – either will work!

STEP 2: Slowly add the oil in a steady stream while beating until fully incorporated. Then whip the whole mixer until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

adding dry ingredients to carrot cake

STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients, grated carrots, and pecans into the large bowl. I shred my carrots in the food processor to speed up the process. You can omit the pecans if you like but I love the little bit of texture! However if you ask me, golden raisins and pineapple have no place in a carrot cake! I like the nice light texture of a cake without the other mix-ins.

STEP 4: Mix the dry and wet ingredients until incorporated, then pour the cake batter into a 9×13 pan.

TIP: Shred carrots in the food processor to save time.

mixing together cream cheese frosting

STEP 5: Make the luscious cream cheese frosting! This is my very favorite recipe for gluten free cream cheese frosting. It really makes a difference to whip the powdered sugar and other ingredients together for a few minutes for a nice fluffy texture. I also like this cream cheese frosting because it uses a little less sugar than other recipes and isn’t overwhelmingly sweet.

STEP 6: Spread the frosting over the cooled gluten-free carrot cake. Refrigerate until serving if needed. Let the cake come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving, then enjoy the perfect gluten-free treat!

cream cheese frosting in a bowl

Storage Instructions

Store your cake by covering the pan in plastic wrap, or by placing leftovers in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to two days.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake FAQs

How do you make gluten-free cakes rise?

Use high quality gluten-free flour and add an extra egg to make your gluten-free cakes rise better.

Why is my carrot cake so dry?

Gluten-free carrot cake may become dry if you over-mix the batter, or if you over-bake. Be sure to remove the cake from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Do raisins go in carrot cake?

Many carrot cake recipes call for mix-ins like pecans, pineapple, and raisins. I prefer to omit the pineapple and raisins—but I do like adding pecans for a little bit of texture.

Tips for Making Gluten-Free Cake

This recipe is perfectly designed to work as written with gluten-free flour. (Like this gluten-free angel food cake!) I highly recommend seeking out recipes that are specifically designed to be gluten-free. However, here are few tips for making cake gluten-free if you’re adapting a regular flour recipe.

Use a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 flour: I like King Arthur Flour. I also usually reduce the amount of flour slightly as gluten-free flour tends to be denser than regular flour.

Reduce the amount of oil slightly: Gluten-free flours aren’t as absorptive as regular flour so sometimes you need to cut back on the vegetable or canola oil slightly.

Add an extra egg: Eggs can give gluten-free baked goods an extra lift and needed structure.

Bake the cake longer: Gluten-free cakes often need longer in the oven than regular cakes. Be sure to test the center with a toothpick to ensure it’s cooked through.

Use parchment paper: If you want to be able to easily remove the whole cake from the prepared pan, line it with parchment paper and let some hang off the sides.

You also might like this gluten-free coconut cake or gluten-free coffee cake.

slice of gluten-free carrot cake on a plate

More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes

I hope you love this gluten-free carrot cake recipe as much as we do! Leave a comment/rating below if you try this recipe. I’d love to hear from you!

carrot cake on white plate with fork
4.99 from 72 votes

Easy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 -14 servings
Hands down the best gluten-free carrot cake around! Easy to make with everyday ingredients and topped with a blanket of fluffy cream cheese frosting. Nobody will guess this is gluten-free!

Video

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour 310 grams
  • 1/2 cup almond flour 55 grams, or substitute with 1/4 cup more measure-for-measure flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound carrots 450 grams, peeled and grated
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • 1 cup brown sugar 200 grams
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup pecans toasted and chopped (optional – plus more for topping finished cake if desired)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 ounces brick-style cream cheese 452 grams, softened to room temperature
  • 10 tablespoons butter 140 grams, softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar 340 grams

Instructions 

  • For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Grate the carrots in a food processor (this way is the easiest!) or by hand. In a medium bowl, add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat until frothy and combined. Slowly pour in the oil while mixing and whip until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the flour mixture, carrots and nuts and mix everything together with a spatula until well-combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
  • For the Frosting: Mix the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream at medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl with rubber spatula as needed.
  • Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat on low speed for 10-15 seconds, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 1-2 minutes until very fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with more pecans if desired.
  • Refrigerate until serving if needed. Let the cake come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

MAKE IT NUT-FREE: Omit the almond flour and add 1/4 cup more gluten-free measure-for-measure flour instead.
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Make dairy-free cream cheese frosting. This recipe works great!
Use a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 flour: I like King Arthur Flour. 

Nutrition

Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 447mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 7210IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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Hi, I’m Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I’m here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We made this today, and for a gluten-free cake, it really is very good. Easy in the realm of carrot cake too…! Note: This recipe worked well with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour.

  2. Hello ,I’m new at the gluten free baking .im baking for my daughter In law who is !
    My question is can I make it into layer cake ? And can I just use the plan all purpose gluten free flour cause that’s alll I have?

    1. The flour blend has to contain xanthan gum for the cake to turn out correctly. Also you could definitely make this into a layer cake and decrease the baking time for 2 round pans. I hope this helps!

  3. 5 stars
    I made this cake last night, it was delicious! I followed the recipe as written except using Arrowhead Rice Flour and 1/2 tsp of xantham gum, and not toasting and chopping the pecans because I was feeling lazy haha

    My frosting was a little lumpy because I used a hand mixer and I didn’t have a paddle attachment but it was still amazing! Tasted just like a normal cake 😀

  4. 5 stars
    Hi Erin, thank you very much for your recipe! I have tried it two weeks ago for Easter and it was delicious! I am going to make another one tomorrow for celebration, I am gluten free intolerant and I am enjoying your website:-) Best wishes, Hedvika

  5. Hi — Do you know if it’s possible to make cupcakes with this recipe? If so, what’s the baking time for cupcakes vs. cake?

  6. 5 stars
    Thanks Erin for all of your delicious gluten free recipes! For someone that loves to bake and can’t have gluten your recipes are by far the best! I love your cookie recipes and can’t wait to try this carrot cake!

  7. 5 stars
    This cake is awesome, truely. Made your vanilla cupcakes first and they were such a success that I chose your carrot next. Both are good but your spice blend and all those carrots……stellar! Keep up the good work.

  8. I can’t have cow dairy but can have goat dairy. Your carrot cake sounds amazing. Was wondering for the frosting if I could sub goat yogourt for the sour cream. Have subbed plain goat cheese logs for cream cheese and goat butter for reg butter before with great success. Looking forward to your response. Very excited to find your website. Just signed up.
    Thanks. Karen

    1. Thanks for subscribing! You can omit the sour cream or use the yogurt. I’ve used yogurt before and it works great. I have also tried making this with kite hill almond cream cheese and omitting the sour cream. That is another option! 🙂

    1. I haven’t tried making these into cupcakes. But I think it might work! I would just make the batter as directed and use these cupcake liners (they work best for gluten-free baking and never stick!) and decrease the baking time to 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them and take them out when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I hope this helps! 🙂

  9. 5 stars
    I enjoy scrolling through all your delicious recipes! Being gluten free AND dairy free, it’s often hard to find something I like and eating it too! Carrot Cake is one of my favs, it will definitely be on my Easter menu! Thank you!

  10. 5 stars
    This is so moist and delicious…truly the best carrot cake! I am definitely going to be making it again and again especially for Easter every year!

    1. Thanks for the feedback. I am going to make this for Easter!
      I’m excited to find a 9×13” carrot cake! 😀

  11. I haven’t made this yet, but I am so happy to find this recipe, and see that it does NOT include pineapple. I am with you there!
    My guess is that the almond flour measure is 1/2 “cup”, but you may want to clarify that.
    Thanks for sharing this. And now I am off to check out another recipe I see in the “related posts”.

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