The best Gluten Free Carrot Cake recipe ever. Only one bowl is needed for this easy gluten free carrot cake recipe that is SO good that you will make it again and again.
Is it just me or did 2012 fly by in the blink of an eye? No sooner had I become used to writing 2012 as the year instead of 2011 and then it was over and now I have to get used to the fact it’s 2013.
I wonder if age has an impact on how quickly we perceive time. When you’re a child there’s painstaking countdowns to events such as your birthday, Christmas or Easter, and the days just seem to drag by. But when you get a little older no sooner do you ring in the new year when all of a sudden it’s Easter before you know it.
I recently reflected on the year that’s just passed and shared my readers top 12 recipes of 2012, but I didn’t share my favourite recipes of 2012. One of which is my Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (followed closely by my Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon).
Even if you aren’t on a gluten free diet my Gluten Free Banana Cake is one delicious cake. In fact, I made the banana cake twice for my husbands family while we were visiting them in Adelaide over Christmas, and each time this cake disappeared just as quickly as 2012 had done because everyone loves a good banana cake.
When we came home from Adelaide I had a sudden craving for carrot cake, which I haven’t had in the longest time, usually because I find them overly oily and heavy, so I resolved to turn my gluten free banana cake into a gluten free carrot cake recipe. And it worked out brilliantly!
The beauty of this gluten free carrot cake recipe is that it couldn’t be easier to make. There is no need to cream butter and sugar, in fact, there’s no butter in this recipe at all. All you need is a food processor to first grate the carrots and then blitz all the ingredients together for this gluten free carrot cake recipe with almond meal to become one of the most delicious cakes you’ll ever eat. Of course, you could grate the carrots by hand, but since you will have the food processor out anyway why not put it to good use?
While I was tempted to go with my cinnamon cream cheese frosting, which by the way I think would work brilliantly with this gluten free carrot cake recipe, I went for a lemon cream cheese frosting. I grew up eating carrot cakes with lemon cream cheese frosting, so lemon cream cheese frosting it had to be for me. Next time though I will make this with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting because I will definitely be making this easy carrot cake recipe again and again.
For this recipe you’ll need:
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 350 g carrots peeled and tops removed, 3/4 lb or 12 oz
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tsp heaped baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250 g almond meal 1/2 lb or 9 oz, ground almonds
- 220 g brown sugar 1/2 lb or 8 oz
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp of ground ginger
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 250 g cream cheese at room temperature, 1/2 lb or 9 oz
- 50 g butter at room temperature, 1¾ oz
- 100 g of icing sugar sifted, 3.5 oz
- zest and juice of half a lemon or to taste
Instructions
Grease two 20 cm (8-Inch) nonstick springform cake tines and preheat the oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
Grate the carrots using a food processor and remove the grated carrots from the bowl and set aside. Remove the grater attachment from the food processor and switch to the chopping attachment and add the pecans and pulse until roughly chopped. Set aside with the carrots.
- Add the remaining cake ingredients (except the carrots and pecans) and process to combine. Finally, add the carrot and pecans and pulse to combine with the cake batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared springform pans and bake for 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the tin before removing.
- To make the frosting combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice and zest and beat for another 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting between the cake layers and over the top of the cooled cake.
Recipe Notes
Need to convert something? Check my conversion chart here.
This looks so so good! Thanks for posting the nutrition content. That’s helpful when trying to stay on a specific meal plan. I’m excited to give this a try!
hi i need a dairy free creamy frosting what dou you suggest? usually ingredients weights are the finished weight like carrots without tops, ends ,etc. the part ready to put in the mix, and usually egg is 38 gram or large. please get back to me about what to do about a dairy free creamy frosting? thanks [email protected] Sister Catherine
Hi Catherine, the eggs are large, which in Australia are 50 to 58g. The carrot weight is whole, with the tops, for ease, because the carrots are shredded in the food processor after being topped and peeled. As for a dairy free topping, I’ve been experimenting with a few options, but honestly, I haven’t come across anything that works as well as a simple icing (confectioners sugar) frosting as the cashew based alternatives I’ve tried all seems to seep into the cake. I hope that helps.
This is the best carrot cake recipe ever. I regularly make it and your banana cake!
A couple of questions for you – is it 350g carrots before you’ve peeled them and taken the tops off or after? And what weight of egg do you use? Sounds silly but sometimes the cake is too moist. Also any tips on adjusting the banana cake recipe to use thawed bananas? I often put bananas in the freezer when they are a bit too ripe to eat then thaw them and use them in cakes later. When they are thawed they are a bit more runny than fresh banana. Thanks! ?
Thank you, Liz for your wonderful comment 🙂 It is always wonderful to hear from people who have tried recipes.
As for your questions. It is 350g of carrots before peeling and removing their tops. As for the eggs, I use large eggs (600g for dozen). For the thawed banana, I’d suggested perhaps thawing it in a fine mesh sieve to remove any moisture before making the cake. That should hopefully remove any excess moisture.
I hope that helps and thanks again for taking the time to leave some feedback. Have a wonderful weekend!! 😀
Thanks Jennifer!
Hi there! I made this for a friend’s fiance’s birthday, and it was a huge success! I increased the cooking time, as the cake definitely needed more cooking to firm it up and dry it out a bit more, then I doubled the icing, coated the cake with it, and pressed crushed walnuts all over it. It was absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad your fiance enjoyed the cake. The crushed walnut coating sounds fabulous! I’ll have to try that 🙂
I’m going to try ground flaxseed instead of almond flour, do u think it will work out?
Hi Linette 🙂 Sorry, I don’t have experience with ground flaxseed so I can’t say whether it will work or not. If you do give it a go please do let me know how it turns out.
I made this cake for my brother and he loved it, now he wants it as his wedding cake – a doubled stacked 10inch round – which I’m guessing would be roughly 4times your recipe?? What I really.want to know is can it be frozen? (both brothers getting married 2 weeks apart so I want to get a head start if possible)
Congratulations on your brothers wedding Danielle! As for your question, I haven’t personally tried freezing the cake, but I’m sure it would be fine. Also, in relation to making 4 cakes, instead of making it in one big batch, I would make individual batches of the cake. Good luck and let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Oh my goodness, it was amazing and went down a storm at the wedding! I baked the cake in 4 layers, using the whole recipe for each 10″ round tin and cooked for 45 minutes each. I did add 90g of sultanas and 2 tbsp of fresh grated root ginger to each layer mix. It also froze incredibly well, left for a few hours to defrost and then layered up with cream cheese and lemon icing before coating with ganache and fondant 2 days before the wedding. Thanks for a great recipe
the oven at 180 degress. is that for a fan forced or a conventional oven.
That is 180 celsius for a conventional oven. I’ve cooked it in a fan forced oven as well, at 170 celsius. I hope you enjoy the cake Frances 🙂
Hi Chaz, sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier. You’re correct. There is no butter or oil in the cake. The nuts provide their own natural oils which keeps the cake moist.
I make this all the time. It really is the best carrot cake ever! I made it for a ‘bake off’ at work and won. 10 judges and I scored 9’s and 10’s! Thankyou.
Oh wow, that is high praise indeed! Thank you so much for sharing @tennille 🙂
So impressed with this carrot cake. Tastes great and so moist. Can’t tell its gluten free. Definetly a permanent fixture.
Thanks Lee 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It is a firm favourite in our house.
I made this cake 2ice, 1st attempt wouldnt come out off a ring tin (tasted great tho) then made again yesterday in a single tine and this time I lined the sides and the bottom, (BEST EASIEST CARROT CAKE TO MAKE)
I made it for my sons 33rd Birthday he loves Carrot Cakes and said this was the best cake, my husband daughter in law all agree.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe
Ha. I think I did something really wrong. It pretty much tastes like pumpkin pie. Should the batter be smooth when you put it in the pans? Mine was quite thick.
Hmmm that doesn’t sound right Kim. There should still be quite a lot of texture in the cake. Did you run the food processor for long? I’m wondering if perhaps all the ingredients became too chopped and pureed? Sorry, it’s a little difficult to tell what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you 😀 If you do decide to make it again I’d suggest only running the food processor long enough for the ingredients to combine before pouring into the tin to bake.
Hi
I have just made your gluten free carrot cake and its now cooling. As I haven’t a food processor I wasn’t sure whether to just mix the the ingredients with a wooden spoon or beat with my hand mixer, what is the best? I haven’t tasted it yet but I did just mix.
Regards
Carol
Hi Carol 🙂 I think as long as you beat it well enough to mix all of the eggs well then you should be fine to do it by hand. Do let me know how it turned out. Enjoy!
This recipe is wonderful! I doubled the cinnamon and nutmeg the second time around because I love a strong spice flavor. Delicious. And I don’t mean delicious for gluten-free. I mean DELICIOUS.
I think I will love this for my Birthday on the 17th! XD
Just noticed your conversion chart. Tiny letters, old eyes.
Thank you,
Robin
It was the cups that I am concerned about. There is a difference between Australian cup measures and US as well as tablespoon, teaspoon etc.
Thank you
I noticed you are using grams and pounds in your recipe. Are these US measures?
Many thanks,
I’m based in Australia, so we use grams as our unit of measure, but a lot of my readers are based in the US so I also try to provide equivalent measures in brackets (pounds, oz or cups) if people aren’t comfortable using grams. Was there a particular measurement that confused you that I can perhaps clarify?
I had never made carrot cake before and this cake really boosted my confidence to be able to make my on GF and DF(milk protein) baking. I added raisins to mine. I then used a pineapple frosting concoction with a vegan cream cheese and butter substitute. It is so good, I may not have to worry about storing it!!! Thanks!!!!
I’ve just made this cake – it tastes very good and my children are on their second piece as I type…but the egg sort of pooled at the bottom when I baked it so there is a bit of an egg layer at the bottom…I do not have a food processor but I tried to stir it REALLY well…could this be the reason? Any tips are appreciated…
Hi Joanna, I’m glad you and your children are enjoying the cake 🙂 As for the egg layer at the bottom, it does sound like that perhaps batter was under mixed. If you have a hand held or stand mixer, I’d perhaps try using that next time to ensure everything is well mixed. Alternatively, if you are making it by hand, try using a whisk and perhaps put the kids to work to make sure it’s well mixed before baking. 😉
This is the most delicious recipe for carrot cake – sensational! I read through all your reviews and took the advice of one of those posted and baked it for 30 minutes and it came out perfectly. A happy five stars x
Thank you for the feedback bumble! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 😀
I made these into mini-cupcakes for a party and they were a hit! So easy to pop in your mouth and they came out so good…perfect consistency. Thanks for sharing!
I notice your gf carrot cake does not contain any oil, is the cake still moist without?
In fact, the cake contains no ‘fats”.
Hi Michele, yes, it’s still super moist without the oil, thanks to the amount of eggs used, and the natural oils in the nuts. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to try it. 😀
Can I make these into cupcakes easily?
Hi Roxann, yes, you should be able to turn them into cupcakes, although I personally haven’t tried it, so it would be a case of trial and error. For cupcakes I’d reduce the baking time by one third to one half. I hope that helps. Please let me know how you go 😀
I made this tonight because I’ve been craving carrot cake and have never found a GF one in cafés and it is absolutely amazing! My mum and I are both in love with it, it’s one of the best cakes we’ve ever had. Thanks for a fantastic recipe 🙂 It’s definitely been added to the repertoire in this house.
Wow, that was amazing! No flour, no salt, no oil… Amazing. I had to bake it for 35-minutes to cook it all the way through. Just amazing though. This truly is the best ever carrot cake.
I made your carrot cake for my husband’s birthday and it turned out fantastic. I am sooo pleased (and everyone who tried it) with it that it will definitely become a much offered and relished cake in our house.
Made this cake with my daughter and we loved it! Now my daughter visits Malaysia (from Holland) and I had to contact her for the recipe. I only got it when I promised to make it again when she returns 🙂
This recipe was absolutely unbelievable! The cake turned out so moist. I used your cinnamon frosting. Also, added about 1/2 cup of flaked coconut – fantastic. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave some feedback Connie. I’m so happy you enjoyed this cake. It’s definitely a favourite in our house. If you enjoyed this cake try my banana cake which is a variation of this. It’s my husbands absolute favourite. 😀 Thanks again and have a great day! 😀
i tried this recipe today. it’s very yummy but very wet even after baking. i think it needed more almond meal. anyway, very yummy. Thank you!
I’m sorry that your cake turned out very wet. It sounds like the cake might needed to have been baked a bit longer as it will dry out a bit when baked longer. If the top of the cake is cooking too quickly, before the middle cooks through, try covering it with foil or using a slightly larger tin. Also, what were the size of the eggs you used?
I’ll gladly take that large slice that you’ve cut Jennifer! It looks scrumptious 😀
What I like about this carrot cake is definitely the lemon cream cheese frosting! That sounds so heavenly!!! It’s beautifully layered and I so wish a large piece of this cake is in front of me… Happy New Year Jennifer! 🙂
I’m saving this one for my husband’s birthday, carrot cake is his favorite!
I’m so impressed:) It looks amazing I’m definitely going to bake your Carrot Cake for my 3 year old B-day party:)
I never would have guessed this would have been gluten-free – it looks so decadent and delicious =)
About how many cups of carrots is 350g? I don’t have a kitchen scale. Thanks!
Hi Brooke, it’s about 5 or 6 carrots. 😀
I love carrot cake! I’ve never tried with a lemon cream cheese icing before. I’ll try it next time.
This carrot cake looks really good!
love your recipes.
Thank you so much Vicki 😀
I know what you mean completely. Life goes screaming by when you’re my age. 🙂
Remember when we were little and we always said we were 8 AND A HALF ? Meaning we were nearly 9. Much older than those 8 year olds.
I have a good friend who’s gluten intolerant. I was with her on a bus once and I’ve never seen anyone throw up so much when she ate a mystery food. I need recipes like this for her — it looks great.
Ahhh yes, I remember the good old days of pointing out your half years. My stepsons are into that now. Especially Mr 12 and a half! 😀
Delicious!! I am a big fan of carrot cake 🙂
It just disappeared, 2012, literally before my eyes! and im sure 2913 will go just as fast. You’ve inspired me to make a carrot cake today, we’ve got carrots tat need to be used. Now it won’t be gluten free, or even close to being healthy but it will be delicious.
Jennifer! Happy New Year to you. From the looks of this gorgeous carrot cake, you’re off to a delicious start.
xxoo
E
Happy New Year to you too Erin! Hope it’s a wonderful one for you and your family 😀
This carrot cake looks perfect whether you’re eating gluten free or not – I can’t wait to give it a try!
I agree, it doesn’t matter if you are gluten intolerant or not, almond meal cakes are the best. 😀
This looks like a beautifully moist cake and I love that it can all be prepared in the food processor. Happy New Year Jennifer – looking forward to many more lovely recipes in 2013!
That cake looks wonderful! I wish I could have a slice right now for breakfast.
Cheers,
Rosa
that cake looks lovely, i definitely think i will give it a go, i’m trying to add to pinterest so i don’t forget about it but my login doesn’t seem to be working 🙁
i just loved your banana cake, we had some on Christmas Day with family and then a piece or two each day after that until it was all gone! just delicious. julian was pretty happy with himself too as he did most of it and it turned out seriously good.
i haven’t tried your mushroom bourgourgnon but i think i should pinterest that too for the cooler weather. looks delicious.
have you been watching River Cottage Everyday on saturdays at 6pm? i watched last saturdays episode and i was thoroughly impressed. this saturday is on vegetables. to think i have been not that interested in Hugh Fearnley-W all this time and he is very good!! loved his passion and he has definitely inspired me to give some whole fish cooking a go.
happy new year jennifer!
x
Hi Jenny!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the banana cake. It’s definitely my favourite, and so easy too. As for the mushroom bourguignon, it’s definitely more of a winter dish. It’s a bit too hot for anything like that at the moment isn’t it? I don’t know about you but I’m melting today!
As for Hugh, I think he’s amazing and so inspiring. I loved his vegetable series (watched it on Foxtel) and how he inspired so many to eat more vegetables. His book is brilliant too. Definitely worth keeping an eye out for that! Have you heard he’s coming to Australia to pick someone to kick off a River Cottage Australia series?
yes i have been avoiding the oven as it is too hot!
i didn’t know that he was bringing River Cottage to Australia, how cool. he is great isn’t he. i might have to check out some of his dvds, i could probably get from the abc shop
I love carrot cake, this looks so moist and delicious! I love that you used almond meal!
I think you are right about the age part. No wonder the year seams to fly faster as years goes by and as I get older. Carrot cake is my fav and recently I started to baking cake with almond flour and fell in love with the texture!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that Jen it literally flew! I’ve married into a family with a coeliac and a gluten-intolerant member so I’m always on the hunt for good GF recipes. Maybe I should make it for myself first. Just to make sure it’s ok yes?
I always think it’s a good idea to test a recipe before making it for someone 😀