I’m a purist when it comes to carrot cake. I don’t like discovering ingredients that don’t belong there – save the pineapple for hummingbird cake and poppyseeds for your lemon loaf. Mastering the ‘ultimate’ gluten free carrot cake recipe involved lots of playing with spices and inclusions. This carrot cake is such a textural masterpiece it doesn’t need too many distractions. This simple recipe delivers a classic cake that is incredibly moist, perfectly spiced and smothered in the most luscious lemon cream cheese frosting. It is absolutely mouthwatering and will make you feel like a clever little carrot in no time.
Olive oil adds incredible moistness to baked cakes and is a great dairy free alternative to butter, just ensure you purchase a ‘light’ olive oil with a mild taste so it does not overpower the other flavours. To make the cake completely dairy free you can either omit the icing or make a simple icing by mixing icing sugar and water.
Brown sugar is the acidic component in the recipe that activates the baking soda giving this carrot cake a beautiful rise and making it super fluffy. You can use caster sugar instead but you won’t get the same caramel notes or fluffiness. These little tips and tricks make this the best carrot cake recipe ever!
- Cake
- 325g or 2½ cups plain gluten free flour*
- 300g or 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1 tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 350ml light olive oil
- 3 organic eggs
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 150g chopped walnuts + extra to garnish
- ½ cup sultanas
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 300g icing sugar mixture, sifted
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- * I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 plain gluten free flour.
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line base with baking paper.
- Add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to a mixing bowl. Blend on a low speed for a few seconds to combine dry ingredients.
- Add oil, eggs, carrots, walnuts and sultanas and mix until combined.
- Spoon thick batter into tin and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Place cake on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until just combined. Spread frosting on cake and garnish with extra walnuts.
- Preheat oven to 180c. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line base with baking paper.
- Add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to bowl and blend for 3 sec/speed 5.
- Add oil, eggs, carrots, walnuts and sultanas and mix 40 sec/speed 6, scraping down sides of bowl halfway through mixing.
- Spoon thick batter into tin and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Place cake on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- To make the frosting place all ingredients in bowl and mix 10 sec/speed 5. Spread frosting on cake and garnish with extra walnuts.
The cake turned out lovely and moist. I was concerned it was too much oil however, as the oil was sitting on top of the raw mixture in the cake pan and some did leak out the bottom of the spring form pan in the oven.
I think maybe you might have put in 350g not mls. Oil is heavier than water so you can’t put it straight in as grams you have to measure it separately or work out what 350mls weighs. I only know as I nearly did the same! Hope that helps for next time
This was undoubtedly the best carrot cake I have ever tasted, GF or otherwise.
My only reservation in making it again is that I eat too much of it and I will pile on the kilos!
So glad you loved it Ann. My daily struggle is not eating too much gluten free carrot cake, I feel your pain.Enjoy!
Helen.
Made this scrumptious morsel, to the letter ,and it turned out perfectly. Being an 80’s kid, who grew up on carrot cake , I’ve had plenty to compare with..trust me, but, this is without doubt the best. Fluffy, tasty and delicious. Do try it!
Awesome Andrea, glad you loved the gluten free carrot cake recipe. Have a great weekend.
What do you mean by “icing sugar mixture” for the frosting??? Thank you!
Tani you will generally find two types of icing sugar in the baking aisle – ‘pure icing sugar’ or ‘icing sugar mixture’. Pure icing sugar sets hard so it is great for royal icing. Icing sugar mixture has cornstarch added to it to keep your frosting soft, this is the one you want for carrot cake. Hope this helps.
This cake was absolutely delicious, everyone who had a piece just loved it!
Thank you!
Glad you loved the gluten free carrot cake recipe Sylvia.
Going to make this on the weekend. Is the 1tablespoon on baking powder correct?
I’ve never used that much, always about a teaspoon
in cakes,
Catherine
Yes it is when you convert plain flour to self-raising you need 2 teaspoons baking powder to every cup plain flour. Enjoy the gluten-free carrot cake recipe.
Just wondering if possible to use egg yolks only ( allergy to whites) or if substitute with chia ?
Thanks
Kate
Yes Kate just use the yolks that is totally fine. Enjoy!
Just wondering if I could substitute the 1½ cups brown sugar with coconut sugar? Same quantity?
Yes go for it. Coconut sugar is slightly less sweet but I think it will still be sweet enough.
Can you simply omit the walnuts and sultanas if your kids don’t like them??
Absolutely. You can either leave them out completely or use a different nut if you like.
Wow wow wow!
By far the best carrot cake I’ve ever made or tasted and trumps non-GF carrot cakes.
When mum was diagnosed with coeliac disease, it was as if she had root canal treatment to her sweet tooth. But no longer thanks to your carrot cake.
Looking forward to trying every other recipe in your book and particularly the Greek treats which mum has missed out on for a few years now.
You’re a star Helen!
Anna I’m so glad you loved the gluten free carrot cake recipe. That one is always a crowd pleaser!
Can’t wait to try this. Just wondering, have you ever made it with flax egg instead of real eggs? Would it work ok, do you think?
Yes you can use a flax egg Jo but just be mindful the texture will be denser. I would use 1-2 flax eggs as a replacement. Enjoy!
This is the best gf carrot cake recipe, doesn’t taste gf, I used home brand gf flour and was perfect 👌🏻I made it for my nursing mates and they loved it. Any advice for making into cupcakes! As that is better for infection control.
Hello how much oil in grams would you recommend to put in ?
350ml olive oil equals 315grams
Hello wondering If I could use a lactose free cream cheese ?
This is the best carrot cake ever. Don’t need to tell anyone it is gluten free. They won’t know the difference. Excellent recipe, thank you Helen!
Thanks Leah. So glad you loved my best ever gluten free carrot cake recipe.