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Thick slice of carrot cake on a white plate with a gold fork.
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4.36 from 14 votes

The Best Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Moist, fluffy, warmly-spiced gluten-free carrot cake with all the classic carrot cake goodies - grated carrot, raisins, nuts, and shredded coconut. There are countless ways you can customize this recipe to fit your wants and dietary needs! :)
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Additional Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Course: Cakes & Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 8-inch 2-tier cake
Calories: 642kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup avocado oil
  • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce*
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup brown sugar tightly packed**
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 2/3 cup raisins
  • 2/3 cup raw pecans or walnuts chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 ounces cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick, or 8 Tbsp softened butter or vegan butter spread, softened to room temperature
  • 4 to 5 cups confectioners sweetener to taste***
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch springform cake pans with parchment paper rounds.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is well-combined any any lumps of brown sugar have dissolved.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and sea salt) in a separate large bowl until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined and a thick cake batter forms.
  • Mix in the shredded coconut, raisins, grated carrot, and chopped pecans (or walnuts) until well-distributed throughout the batter.
    Mixing bowl with carrot cake batter. Ready to be baked into cake.
  • Evenly divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and spread it into an even layer.
  • Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 32 to 40 minutes, or until the cake tests clean. Mine take about 38. To verify the cake is cooked through, you can insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean. Cakes are considered fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of at least 190 degrees F, so you can use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the inside of the cake as well (this is what I do).
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely to room temperature.
  • Once you’re ready to frost the cakes, release them from their molds and discard the parchment paper.
  • Place one cake on a cake stand (or the serving dish you’re using), and frost the top with cream cheese frosting.
    first layer of carrot cake on a cake stand smeared with frosting.
  • Place the second cake on top of the cream cheese layer and frost the full outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
    Fully frosted carrot cake on a cake stand.
  • If you’d like to decorate the cake with chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut, feel free to get creative.
  • Slice and serve.
    Two slices of carrot cake on white plates with forks, ready to enjoy.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Mix the softened cream cheese and softened butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer. Beat until creamy and fluffy, then slowly add in the powdered sugar until it is fully incorporated into the frosting. Beat in the vanilla extract and sea salt. 
  • Use the cream cheese frosting immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days ahead of time.

Notes

*Use any type of milk you like to replace the applesauce if there’s an apple allergy. Cow’s milk, almond milk and oat milk are all great options. I use full-fat canned coconut milk when making applesauce-free carrot cake because it brings more moisture to the recipe.
**Use regular cane sugar, coconut sugar, sugar-free sweetener, or maple sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer.
***You can use sugar–free powdered sugar for a sugar-free frosting.
You can use one large 13” x 9” casserole dish, three 6-inch cake pans, or two 9-inch cake pans. Make carrot cake cupcakes using a 12-hole muffin tray lined with muffin papers. Just note that you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Store cake covered in plastic wrap on the counter for up to 2 days or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice (of 12) | Calories: 642kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g