Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
This extra‑moist, gluten‑free carrot cake delivers everything you love about the classic version-warm spice, tender crumb, and rich flavor. It's made with real sugar and traditional ingredients for the best texture, so it's not a low‑sugar or diabetes‑friendly recipe, just a truly delicious gluten‑free dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup 1:1 gluten-free flour I used Cup4Cup
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ⅔ cup oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (full‑fat, brick style)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
- 2 -3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your pans by greasing and lining them with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten‑free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
- Pour in the oil, applesauce, and vanilla, stirring until everything is fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the finely grated carrots, making sure they're evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pans, smoothing the tops gently.
- Bake according to your pan size until the centers spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Two 8‑inch round pans:
- 25-30 minutes
- Start checking at 22 minutes.
- Two 9‑inch round pans:
- 22-28 minutes
- Start checking at 20 minutes.
- One 9×13 rectangular pan:
- 35-45 minutes
- Start checking at 35 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for a bit, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For icing:
- Beat the cream cheese on medium‑high until completely smooth - no lumps.
- Add the butter and beat again until fully combined and fluffy.
- Add vanilla + salt.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well between additions.
- Taste and adjust:
- Add more sugar for thicker/stiffer frosting
- Add a splash of milk or cream if you want it softer.
Notes
I often try to make both diabetes-friendly and gluten-free recipes. This one is made with full sugar, so it is not one of my diabetes-friendly recipes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 365mgFiber: 2gSugar: 53g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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