Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Here's the best gluten free carrot cake with classic cream cheese frosting! Moist crumb, with a hint of sweet cinnamon and ginger, toasted walnuts, and fluffy not overly sweet cream cheese frosting. Basically everything you want in a carrot cake!
Equipment
- 2x 8-inch cake pans
Ingredients
- 3 cups (290g) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (160g) brown sugar
- 2 cups (180g) shredded carrot
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sunflower oil vegetable, canola, corn, or sunflower
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter softened to room temperature
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F/180°C/160° Fan oven.
- Grease your cake pans with softened butter, then line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the almond flour with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs with brown sugar for 4-5 minutes. This is very important that you keep beating until the mixture becomes light in color. Mix in the vanilla extract and oil.
- Add the almond flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry almond flour. Then fold in the shredded carrots and nuts.
- Divide the batter between 2 or 3 cake pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes if using 2 pans, or 20-22 minutes if using 3 cake pans. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cream cheese frosting
- Using a stand mixer, or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese with butter, vanilla, and salt until very smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches to avoid getting a sugar storm. Beat until very well incorporated for 2-3 minutes.
- To frost the cake, place the first layer of the cake upside down and frost with ⅓ of the frosting. Top with the second layer of the cake (again, upside down), and frost the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Then remove from the fridge and frost with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts or pecans if desired.
Notes
- Grating carrots is easy, just use a standard box grater then measure in cups packed firmly. Or use an electric scales if that's easier.
- Feel free to add fourth a cup of desiccated coconut to the batter.
- The walnuts or pecans can be omitted, but they add a great crunch and flavor to the cake.
- Make sure that the cream cheese that you're using is softened to room temperature, I just take mine out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking.
- To make this cake dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.
- Slice the cake into 12 pieces, and serve at room temperature for the best result.
- Nutrition value is calculated per serving including the frosting.
- Make ahead: You can bake the cake layers 1-2 days in advance, and store them at room temperature wrapped in parchment paper then in plastic wrap. The cream cheese frosting can also be made 1-2 days in advance, and store in the fridge. If making a frosted cake ahead, it can be made up to 2-3 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Fridge: Store the leftover cake covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Freeze individual slices in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months, thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 3849IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/gluten-free-carrot-cake/