A tender, flavorful gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, or buttercream frosting. I’ve included instructions to make a layered cake, sheet cake, and cupcakes from this gluten free carrot cake recipe.

If you love cake, like me, you’ll want to make my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake. My Gluten Free Chocolate Cake is also scrumptious.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Have you ever seen a more lovely slice of gluten free carrot cake? This carrot cake recipes uses a few simple ingredients, and there are no complicated steps. I’ve tested this carrot cake recipe with a couple of different flour blends – which I share below.

Please follow my directions the first time around before testing any substitutions in this gluten free carrot cake recipe. If you are an experienced baker and you do make a substitution to this carrot cake please leave a comment below sharing what you used.

There’s a section below with how to make gluten free carrot cake with step by step photos, and I give alternate directions for making a gluten free sheet cake carrot cake and gluten free carrot cake cupcakes.

Gluten Free Flours

For this carrot cake recipe you can use my gluten free flour blend recipe, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (not the all-purpose gf flour), or GFJules Gluten Free Flour Blend.

Working with Gluten-Free Flours

When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don’t have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.

Dairy-Free Gluten Free Carrot Cake

They only dairy in this gluten free carrot cake recipe is in the frosting. You can make a cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting using dairy-free ingredients to keep this carrot cake dairy-free.

How to make gluten free carrot cake

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and eggs.
2. Add oil and vanilla; beat just until smooth.
3. In a separate medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking
   soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
5. Mix until combined.
6. Stir in grated carrots. Optional: Stir in chopped nuts.
7. Spoon batter evenly into two round 9” and bake as directed.
8. Cool completely before frosting.

Although the photos of this gluten free carrot cake show the cake as a layered cake, you can easily make this carrot cake into a sheet cake or cupcakes. See below.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

To make a gluten free carrot cake sheet cake mix the batter up as directed. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and level with the back of a rubber spatula. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. Mix the batter as directed. Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and the gluten free carrot cake cupcakes are very lightly browned.

For this homemade gluten free carrot cake recipe, I like to use finely shredded carrots, but you can use regular grated carrots. I find the finely shredded carrots lend to a more tender texture, without any large carrot pieces.

I don’t use applesauce in my gf carrot cake but if you’d like you can replace half the oil with applesauce. I haven’t tried replacing all the oil with applesauce. Everyone who’s tried this homemade gluten free carrot cake has said it’s the best gluten free carrot cake – even people who don’t eat gluten free.

Did you make this gluten free carrot cake? Please stop back by and let me know what you thought. Leave a comment below and share your experience.

Yield: 16 servings

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Print

A tender gluten free carrot cake that is simple to make and uses minimal ingredients. Top this homemade gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the carrot cake:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon all spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups freshly grated carrots
• Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
• 4½ cups powdered sugar

For Buttercream Frosting

• ½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
• 4½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position the oven rack in center of oven. Line two 9” round cake pans with parchment paper (cut out circles for the bottom of the pan), and spray with oil; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and eggs. Add oil and vanilla; beat just until smooth.
3. In a separate medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Stir in grated carrots. Optional: Stir in chopped nuts.
6. Spoon batter evenly into the baking pans.
7. Bake for 36–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Start with the lowest time and watch for doneness from there.
8. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack.
9. Frost with your favorite frosting. For a layer cake, place a little frosting in the center of your cake plate. Place a layer on top, frost the top. Add the second layer and frosting the top. If desired frosting the sides.
10. Store this gluten free carrot cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
11. For the cream cheese frosting - In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. You can store frosting in the refrigerator in a sealed container
    for up to a week.
12. For the buttercream frosting - In a medium mixing bowl, beat together butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. Alternate one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk until all ingredients are blended. Beat in additional milk if needed to obtain desired constancy. You can store frosting in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.
    

Notes

• Spoon gluten free flour into the measuring cup, then level.
• Gluten Free Carrot Cake Sheet Cake - To make a gluten free carrot cake sheet cake mix the batter up as directed. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and level with the back of a rubber spatula. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
• Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes - For the gluten free carrot cake cupcakes preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. Mix the batter as directed. Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and the gluten free carrot cake cupcakes are very lightly browned.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 697Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 1gSugar: 81gProtein: 5g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.