Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

User Reviews

5

107 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    40 mins

  • Cook Time

    35 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr 15 mins

  • Servings

    12 servings

  • Calories

    615 kcal

  • Course

    Dessert

  • Cuisine

    American

Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

This gluten-free carrot cake blends various rice and tapioca flours with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, plus xanthan gum to aid texture. It incorporates cooked, pureed carrots and crushed pineapple for moisture and sweetness. The batter is baked in pans until a toothpick inserted is clean, resulting in a moist, tender crumb. The cake is finished with a cream cheese frosting made from butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Optional toasted coconut and marzipan carrot decorations enhance flavor and presentation.

Description

The Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe combines brown rice, white rice, potato starch, and tapioca flours along with baking soda and spices to create a flavorful and textured cake base. Xanthan gum is included to improve binding and crumb structure. Cooked and pureed carrots provide moisture and body, while crushed pineapple adds sweetness and tenderness. The batter includes brown and white sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk or a dairy-free substitute. The cake is baked in two 9-inch pans or a 9x13-inch sheet until test-clean. After cooling, a cream cheese frosting made from softened butter, room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla is applied between layers and on top. Additional touches include toasted coconut folded into the batter and optional marzipan carrot decorations colored with natural food dyes. The cake maintains moistness and texture suitable for gluten-free diets while delivering familiar carrot cake flavors.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
  • 1/3 cup potato starch
  • 3 tablespoons white rice flour
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (improves texture and binding - omit if allergic to it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar granulated white
  • 3 egg large
  • 1/2 cup oil avocado, olive, coconut, etc, 2 tablespoons added
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract quality pure
  • 3/4 cup carrot boil carrots until soft, then drain, puree and let cool, cooked, pureed
  • 3/4 cup pineapple drained, crushed
  • 1/4 cup milk (or dairy free alternative of choice)
  • 1/2 cup coconut spread out on baking sheet and toasted at 325F for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, then cooled, shredded
  • For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 1/2 cup butter , softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract quality pure
  • cream cheese frosting click link, dairy-free alternative
  • marzipan optional, for marzipan carrots use
  • marzipan super easy and way cheaper than store-bought), half of one batch is enough, homemade
  • marzipan store-bought alternative
  • natural food coloring red, yellow and green

Instructions

  1. Grease two 9-inch pans. (If making a sheet cake instead, grease a 9x13 inch pan). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.In a larger bowl, add the sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the milk, pureed carrots and pineapple and stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and toasted coconut (if using) and stir just until combined. Be careful not to over-stir.
  3. Pour equal amounts of batter into the pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for about 5 minutes and then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Place the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater until combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Frost the top side of the bottom layer and set the second layer on top of it. Frost the rest of the cake.
  5. To Make the Marzipan Carrots (optional): Use a ratio of 2:1 yellow to red food coloring to make orange-colored marzipan. Use green food coloring to color a little bit of marzipan green for the leaves. Shape the orange marzipan into small carrots and set them on wax paper or other non-stick surface. Break of tiny bits of green marzipan, shape them into foliage, and press them to the carrots. Set aside until ready to use. These can be made several days in advance, just keep them covered/airtight so they don't dry out.
  6. Arrange the marzipan carrots on the cake.Cut the cake into wedges so that each slice has at least one marzipan carrot on it. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 615kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 92g (31%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 11g (55%) Cholesterol 81mg (27%) Sodium 446mg (19%) Potassium 229mg (5%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 71g (142%) Vitamin A 1902IU (38%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 62mg (6%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 615 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 615kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 92g 31%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 446mg 19%
Potassium 229mg 5%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 71g 142%
Vitamin A 1902IU 38%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 62mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Overall Rating

5

107 reviews
Excellent

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