Gluten-Free, dense and delicious, slap-your-mama good, Carrot Cake!
I’ve been baking this same dense and luscious carrot cake recipe for 25 years and now that I can share a gluten free version with you, I’m over the moon excited! I use a gluten free baking mix but you could also use a combo of gluten free oat flour, coconut flour and tapioca flour, see recipe below. This is the densest, richest, chunkiest and perfectly wonderful carrot cake with easiest, most luscious cream cheese frosting I’ve ever found.
It’s easy to make and very forgiving but it’s not for wimps. It will make you forget all those airy, light and boring carrot cakes you’ve ever had to suffer through. You don’t just eat this carrot cake…you chow down. I typically make it in a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish but it works terrifically as cupcakes too.
So without further ado, my Carrot Cake updated, improved and Gluten-free!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Author: Kate Battistelli
Recipe type: Gluten Free Dessert
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16-24 servings
I hope you love this dense, rich, chunky and perfectly wonderful carrot cake with the easiest, most luscious cream cheese frosting ever!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Gluten-Free flour mix of your choice or use a homemade mixture of: ½ cup oat flour, ½ cup coconut flour, 2 cups tapioca flour (measure and sift together into a bowl, mixing well)
- 2 cups coconut sugar (looks and acts just like brown sugar but with a much lower glycemic index. It's pretty much all I use anymore)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1½ cups melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
- 4 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1½ cups shredded coconut
- 1⅓ cups shredded raw carrots (or cooked and pureed carrots)
- ¾ cup crushed or fresh, chopped pineapple
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch layer cake pans and line with waxed paper or what I do is grease a large 9 x 13 inch pyrex or sheet pan. No need to use waxed paper if you’re using the large pyrex.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. Easy peasy!
- Pour batter into the prepared pan or pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until edges have pulled away from the sides and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. If you use the sheet pan cook for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine cooks in 45 minutes.
- Cool on a rack for 3 hours. Fill and frost with cream cheese frosting or dust top with confectioners sugar.
- If making cupcakes, bake about 25-30 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. organic cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners sugar – If you want a stiffer frosting, add another cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl.
- Slowly sift in confectioner’s sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. Mixture should be free of lumps.
- Stir in vanilla. Frost your cooled carrot cake. I give you permission to lick the beaters!
Kate’s Tips
- I usually use pecans but walnuts would be fine.
- You can also add raisins if you like, golden raisins would be pretty. Or chopped dried apricots or dates.
- This isn’t a light and airy cake. It’s moist and dense and full of flavor.
- I like this gluten free flour mix: Cup4cup Gluten Free Wholesome Flour Blend
- This cake freezes exceptionally well. Just cut into individual squares, wrap and freeze in a big gallon zip lock.
- Makes anywhere from 12-18 good sized squares if you do it in the 9×13 pyrex.
- This recipe makes great cupcakes/muffins too. Makes 24. What I sometimes do is make 12 cupcakes in a paper-lined muffin tin and then put the rest of the batter in an 8×8 pyrex. Bake about 25-30 minutes for the cupcakes and 30-35 for the cake. Use a cake tester after 20 minutes and keep checking at 5 minute intervals till done. You don’t want to over bake.
If you make this, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you and if you changed up the ingredients at all. Enjoy!
My Ugly Confession
I have tried the regular cake version and it was great. I tried the gluten free version and it came out crumbly and gritty (for lack of better term). It was moist, but not like the regular version. I was wondering what I can do to fix it. I have notices that the flour/egg quantity is the same between cake version. Would it make a difference to use less flour or more eggs? And the gluten free cake dries faster as days go. I baked two layers 9×9 and put frosting in between and on top (just like I did the regular version).
Hi Anna! When I make the gluten free version, I usually use my own blend that I specify in the recipe of oat, coconut and tapioca flour. Did you use that blend or a gluten free all purpose flour? That might have made a difference. Not all gluten free all purpose flours are the same and don’t always produce the same results from brand to brand. That said, I think you could definitely add another egg to moisten it more. One other suggestion I would try. Switch out the coconut flour for almond flour but keep the eggs the same. Coconut flour is notorious for sucking up liquid and can cause baked goods to be dry if there isn’t enough liquid. Let me know how it goes. Blessings! 🙂
I made this cake for my daughter’s 13th birthday, and it was fabulous. I am going to make it again for Christmas. The texture was perfect, and Kerrygold butter in the frosting was Devine. Thank you, and God Bless.
I’m thrilled to hear it Beth! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Hi Kate, Happy Easter!! I made this cake yesterday, and we love it! I used almond flour, as i could not find oat flour in my Kroger. All other flours were the same. It was yummy! Greg is not a coconut fan, and has asked that next time I make it, to not use coconut. Do you think that will make much difference if i leave that out?? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Melissa–I’m so glad you enjoyed the Carrot Cake! Almond flour is fine, I even use cassava flour sometimes. It wouldn’t be a problem at all the leave the coconut out, it will still taste great 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by! Blessings