Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake is rich and moist, made with crushed pineapple, brown sugar, shredded carrots, and walnuts topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, perfect for springtime!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour, 1:1
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, double-acting
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots, peeled first
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple drained
Equipment
- 2 9-inch round cake pans
- 1 stand mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the lemon juice and milk, stirring together.
- Whisk in the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, pineapple, and vanilla extract, mixing until well-combined. Stir the walnuts and shredded carrots into the cake batter. You can also use an electric mixer for this.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Pour cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and place onto the middle rack of the preheated oven.
- Bake cake for 40-50 minutes, or until cakes are golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting. Placing the pans on a wire rack will help them cool more quickly.
Notes
Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage
Refrigerate for about a week in an air-tight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. This cake is moist on its own because of the carrots, so I recommend refrigerating the cake. We’re also adding a dairy-based frosting, which is another reason to refrigerate it.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. If you’ve already frosted the cake, freeze the cake carefully first before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Once the frosting is frozen, it won’t be messed up.
Cooking Tips
- Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, to make sure everything is well-mixed together.
- You can make this using a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or and old-fashioned whisk.
- Place your cake on the rack in the center of oven for even cooking.
- The baking time can vary if you live at a higher elevation. Here’s a really great resource to help you adjust the recipe accordingly. Without the adjustments, you may notice a difference in texture and baking time.
- Place a small amount of icing on the cake plate to prevent the cake from sliding while decorating.
- Your cake is done when the top is slightly firm to the touch, golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 46g (15%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 16g (25%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 39mg (13%)Sodium: 142mg (6%)Potassium: 226mg (6%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 30g (33%)Vitamin A: 4152IU (83%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 87mg (9%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
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Does this cake not need eggs?
Yes, 3 eggs 🙂
this looks delicious! I absolutely love carrot cakes! and with coconut YUM that sounds perfect! 😉
Hi! I am new to your blog, but I’m glad I found you. I am wanting to make a carrot cake for Thanksgiving and was wanting a recipe that had pineapple in it. Yay! What GF flour do you use? Thanks!!
This is my favorite carrot cake, mostly because I love pineapple! I use Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose flour. I like the texture and taste of things I’ve made with it. I know some people who swear by King Arthur, too, but I haven’t done much with that one yet.
Hi Jacqui,
Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m not a big fan of the AP flour because of the bean flour. I do like their 1 to 1 flour. So, I’ll give that a go and let you know. I’ve had success with a few recipes with it so far. Thanks again!
Hello,
If I leave out the coconut and nuts in the cake recipe, would I need to make any other adjustments? Thank you!
Hi Beth, No, I think it would be fine to just leave them out. Thanks! 🙂
Is there a way to make this low-sugar? 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar is way too much. Also, could I substitute the vegetable oil for applesauce? Thanks.
Hi Heidi, The confectioners sugar is the main part of the frosting, so you’d have to change the recipe around quite a bit to get it low sugar. How would you feel about serving this with a light whipped cream, instead? I think it would still be tasty, and should cut some of the carbs out.
For the cake, applesauce should be able to sub for the oil without any problems. Let me know if the banana works in place of the sugar, too! That sounds good.
Thanks! 🙂
I use turbinado sugar instead of white & brown sugar though I’m thinking of omitting that and using mashed bananas for the cake. Also almond flour, which I typically use in baked goods.