Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Posted: 03/19/26
Updated: 03/23/26
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This is the most plush, moist Gluten Free Carrot Cake you’ll ever try! Your family won’t even be able to tell it is gluten free with a light, tender crumb, a balanced, not too sweet cream cheese frosting, and just the right amount of spice. It also only takes 2 hours to make, start to finish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This gluten-free carrot cake has that classic carrot cake flavor, and is made super moist with the addition of pineapple chunks in the batter. From both the taste and the texture, you honestly won’t be able to tell that this spring bake is gluten-free!
- A good carrot cake needs a cream cheese frosting, and this one is perfectly balanced with just enough sweetness to make the flavors of the cake sing without being a little too much.
- By chilling the layers of the cake they are much easier to stack, but you also don’t have to crumb coat the cake for a clean finish if you don’t want to.
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t skip removing excess liquid from the pineapple chunks. After draining, press the pineapple in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess juice.You want moisture, not free liquid. This prevents a gummy center.
- Make sure you don’t over-mix the batter! The key to getting a tender, light crumb is to only just combine the wet and the dry ingredients. As there is no gluten to develop you won’t get a dense, chewy cake as you would using regular flour, but your mixture will develop an unpleasant gummy texture it too much air gets trapped in it.
- For a nice clean finish stacking the layers, chill the cakes for half an hour before frosting. This should help you decorate them without the cakes cracking and help cut down on loose crumbs ruining the frosting!
More Delicious Gluten-free Bakes
- Gluten Free Dutch Baby Pancake
- Easy Gluten Free Monkey Bread Recipe
- Healthy Oatmeal Snack Bars
- Easy Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
- Healthy Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
- Easy Gluten Free Coffee Cake Recipe
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Gluten Free Carrot and Pineapple Cake
This super simple Gluten Free Carrot Cake has chunks of pineapple in the batter for a lovely moist sponge, before being coated in a not too sweet cream cheese frosting for the perfect plush carrot cake every single time!
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum, or add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger optional but excellent
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
Wet
- ½ cup neutral oil grapeseed, avocado, or light olive oil
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup milk dairy or unsweetened non-dairy
- 1 teaspooon vanilla
Fold-ins
- 3 cups finely grated carrots freshly grated
- ¾ cup crushed pineapple very well drained, see notes
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
Equipment
- 2 8-inch round cake pans
- cake tester or toothpick
- palette knife for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round pans.
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a large jug or another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients directly to the dry, and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the carrots, drained and dried pineapple chunks, and the nuts (if using) gently with a rubber spatula. Again, be careful not to over-mix.
- Divide evenly between the two prepared pans, and smooth the tops. Drop each pan an inch or two back down onto the countertop to help knock out any excess air bubbles.
- Bake 35–42 minutes. When done, the center of each cake should spring back lightly and a tester should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the cake pans, then fully cool on metal racks.
- Chill the layers for 30 minutes before frosting for clean stacking.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then gradually add the powdered sugar until you have added at least 3 1/2 cups, and it has reached the desired consistency. If it is too soft for decorating the cake, chill for 20-30 minutes before frosting.
- Layer the cakes together with 1/4 to 1/3 of the frosting, then use a palette knife to carefully coat the cake with the frosting. Decorate with additional chopped nuts, if desired.
Notes
Remove the excess moisture from the pineapple chunks: don’t skip removing excess liquid from the pineapple chunks. After draining, press the pineapple in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess juice.You want moisture, not free liquid. This prevents a gummy center.
Don’t over-mix the batter: the key to getting a tender, light crumb is to only just combine the wet and the dry ingredients. As there is no gluten to develop you won’t get a dense, chewy cake as you would using regular flour, but your mixture will develop an unpleasant gummy texture it too much air gets trapped in it.
Chill the cake layers: for a nice clean finish stacking the layers, chill the cakes for half an hour before frosting. This should help you decorate them without the cakes cracking and help cut down on loose crumbs ruining the frosting!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 573kcal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Total Carbs: 60g | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 58g | Net Carbs: 59.6g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 65mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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