Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Published
This gluten-free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my absolute favorites. It’s incredibly easy to make, yet it tastes like something straight out of a bakery. The warm blend of spices perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the carrots, pineapple, and coconut, creating a rich, moist texture that no one will ever guess is gluten-free. Frosted with a cream cheese frosting with a hint of lemon that adds just the right amount of brightness, making every bite irresistible.
I love how this cake turns out moist, soft, and tender every single time—exactly how a great carrot cake should be. A perfect blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, combined with the natural sweetness of carrots and pineapple, gives this cake its incredible flavor. It’s so easy to make using everyday ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. The light cream cheese frosting adds just the right amount of richness without overpowering the cake, keeping every bite perfectly balanced.
This is the kind of cake that disappears fast at any gathering—whether it’s Easter, a birthday, or just a cozy weekend treat. I love making it for special occasions because it always gets rave reviews, even from those who don’t follow a gluten-free diet. If you prefer baking with almond flour, my almond flour carrot cake is another great option with a slightly richer texture and nutty flavor. Trust me, once you try it, this will become your go-to carrot cake recipe.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 2 9×9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups applesauce, I keep applesauce snack cups in my pantry. They are 1/2 cup portions.
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 cup crushed pineapple in juice, not syrup; do not drain
- 2 cups grated carrots, 2-3 large carrots
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, If you want a firmer frosting, add an additional 1-2 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cut the parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9" cake pans. Place the circles in the bottom of the pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix together the sugar, eggs, and applesauce until fully combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Stir in the carrots, coconut, pineapple, raisins, pecans, and pure vanilla extract into the sugar and egg mixture.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until fully combined.
- Pour half of the batter in the first greased 9″ cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter in the second 9″ greased cake pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. The edges of the cake will start to brown and pull away from the sides of the pan. This is a very moist cake, so insert a toothpick to make sure it’s done. Please watch your cake because all ovens are different.
- Cool the cakes completely in the pans before frosting. I cover the cooled cakes with plastic wrap and then place them in the refrigerator for several hours overnight. I like my carrot cake really cold. You can also partially cool in the pans for 15-20 minutes and then place the cakes on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t forget to add the parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and then coat it with cooking spray. This cake is moist, which means it will be more prone to sticking to the pan.
- It’s best to measure the gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method. This keeps you from getting too much flour in the recipe.
- I always use a toothpick to check if the cakes are done. This carrot cake is moist, so a small amount of cake may stick to the toothpick, but it should not be wet. This ensures the cake is baked perfectly.
- Allow the cakes to completely cool in the pans before frosting. Once the cakes are completely cooled, I cover the cake pans with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, up to overnight, before I frost the cake. I like carrot cake served really cold.
- For the dairy-free option, I used Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese.
- I decorated the top with shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and frosting flowers using a Wilton 1M tip.
- I’ve made this carrot cake without raisins or pecans before, but I’ve never skipped the shredded coconut. Additionally, the crushed pineapple is one of the key ingredients that makes this cake so moist. I haven’t tried this recipe without it because it’s such an important part of the texture and flavor.
- If you’d like to make this recipe into cupcakes, simply add the batter to lined muffin tins and bake them for 15–20 minutes. In my experience, the cupcakes turn out perfectly at 20 minutes, but make sure to keep an eye on your oven, as baking times can vary depending on your oven’s performance.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Step-by-Step
Gather all your ingredients together.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and cut out circles of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of two 9” cake pans. Add the parchment paper to the bottom of the pans and spray them with gluten-free cooking spray.
Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together 2 cups of granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, and 1 ½ cups of applesauce.
In another bowl, stir together 2 cups gluten-free flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, and ¼ tsp ground allspice.
Add ½ cup raisins, 1 cup shredded sweet coconut, ½ cup chopped pecans, 1 cup crushed pineapple, 2 cups grated carrots, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the egg and sugar mixture.
Make sure you mix the ingredients thoroughly, so everything is evenly combined.
Mix the flour mixture into the batter until no flour pockets remain and all the ingredients are fully combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the two greased 9″ cake pans.
Place the cake pans in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes. The edges should start to brown and pull away from the pan. Since this cake is very moist, test for doneness by inserting a toothpick—it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Keep an eye on your cake, as oven temperatures can vary. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, I like to rack each cake in plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before frosting. Do not try to frost a warm cake. The frosting will just run off.
Add 1 cup of softened butter and 2 8oz packages of softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl.
Beat the butter and cream cheese together until you have a smooth consistency.
Slowly beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
Beat until the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is smooth.
Then, beat in 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Frost the first cake when it’s cooled completely.
Stack the second cake on top of the frosted first cake and then frost the top.
Decorate to your liking, slice, and enjoy with friends!
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this gluten-free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on Easter as part of a festive spring spread. The warm spices, sweet carrots, and rich cream cheese frosting make it a perfect holiday dessert. The cake works well as a classic layer cake, a simple sheet cake, or even cupcakes for a more casual option. Its soft texture and balanced flavors make it a favorite any time of year, and no one ever guesses it’s gluten-free.
Storage Instructions
I’ve made this gluten-free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in advance. Make the cakes and store them separately form the frosting and assemble when you’re ready to serve. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. The frosting can be in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
After the cakes have completely cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place each wrapped layer in a plastic freezer bag. I freeze my cake for up to a month and them in the refrigerator overnight. I keep the frosting in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Delicious, moist carrot cake. I used a home canned chunky apple sauce. Doubled the recipe for a crowd of 30. Frosting delicious. Had pineapple rings to use up, so just processed them to look like crushed. Batter was wet enough, so I didn’t use the juice. Would make again.
The recipe looks amazing! Would it work as a sheet cake? How long should I bake it?
Yes, you can make this gluten-free carrot cake a sheet cake. Start checking for doneness at 45 minutes.
Hi,
Would reducing the sugar in the cake by half, or using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar work?
Hi Risa, we haven’t tested it with that change but let us know if you do!
This recipe is my husband’s favorite! This year for his special birthday, he requested this. I always leave one layer without icing so we can cut and eat it just like carrot bread. Try it with a dab of real butter. It’s great.
Christmas dinner at church is tomorrow and I am making it again, with icing on both cakes & stacked. Thank you for your recipe!!!
Family and friends (both GF and not) insist on this cake for their special occasions!
came out gummy like a brick. baked for almost 1hr still dense and gummy.
Sorry it didn’t turn out for you!
Can you make this in 1 tin not 2 successfully
Hi Carol, if you use just one cake pan, you’ll have extra cake batter.
I just made this Friday 9/19/2025. I did leave the coconut out as my granddaughter does not like coconut. This cake turned out so moist and flavorful. People couldn’t believe that it was gluten free. I will be making this again.
This was SO delicious and moist. Will definitely make again.
A friend at a study shared this. she *said* it was gluten free *after* everyone ate it. In my own mind, I seriously doubted she was telling the truth. Another friend who had to be GF mentioned she wanted a carrot cake. I printed this out, bought some GF flour & crushed pineapple and applesauce (I think them unusual for carrot cake ingredients). She made it, and it was just as tasty as at study. So, I decided to give it a try. It *is* a very tasty recipe, and I would *NOT* suspect it is GF.