This gluten-free carrot cake has been a reader favorite for years! It’s made with three layers of perfectly spiced carrot cake and just the right amount of cream cheese frosting for a deliciously sweet bite.
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake
A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has always been one of my favorite desserts to indulge in. And when I set out to create this gluten-free version years ago, it did take a bit of trial and error. But it’s been absolutely perfect for over a decade now, and I make this recipe at least twice a year, for Easter and Thanksgiving, plus special birthdays. The triple layers are unbelievably moist, filled with warm spices, and packed with plenty of freshly grated carrots. Is the cake itself healthy? Well, that might be a bit of a stretch. But I did go light on the ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting, so I’m calling that balance! I also love that this recipe is:
- Really easy to make. And foolproof! The layers always bake flat and don’t need any trimming on top.
- Sweet but not too sweet. After a big holiday meal of honey baked ham or prime rib, it’s the perfect after-dinner dessert that’s not overly sweet.
- A great make-ahead dessert. It stores well in the fridge, so I usually make it a day or two in advance.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Ingredients
For the carrot cake base, you’ll need:
- Almond Flour: I always use blanched almond flour for the finest texture.
- Tapioca Flour: A little bit of tapioca flour helps to create that lighter, fluffier texture.
- Coconut Sugar: The subtle caramel undertones of coconut sugar are perfect in this cake.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger are the ultimate carrot cake spice mix.
- Baking Soda and Cream of Tartar: The baking soda gives lift, and the cream of tartar is the acid that activates it. You can swap both for baking powder if that’s easier.
- Eggs: While it may seem like 5 eggs is a lot, keep in mind that extra eggs are needed because of the gluten-free flours.
- Butter: I’m using butter, but ghee also works great!
- Applesauce: This is my secret ingredient for keeping this carrot cake extra moist!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a smidge of sweetness to the overall base.
- Shredded Carrots: The star ingredient is carrots! And I’ve got extra tips below for how to grate them quickly and easily.
- Pecans: I love sprinkling chopped pecans on top for that nutty crunch. But you could always swap in walnuts or another nut.
And here’s what you’ll need for the cream cheese frosting:
- Cream Cheese: Its thick texture and tangy flavor make it perfect for the ultimate creamy frosting.
- Butter: Again, you can also use ghee here if desired.
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar for that classic sweet, fluffy texture.
- Vanilla Extract: For a little touch of sweetness.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Ways to Shred Carrots
I usually use my KitchenAid shredding attachment because it makes grating carrots incredibly fast and easy. But if you don’t have one, no worries. You can simply peel the carrots and use a box grater or a hand grater. It takes a little more effort, but it works perfectly fine.
Another quick option is using a food processor with the shredding blade attached. Just peel the carrots, cut them into 3-inch pieces, and let the machine do the work. No matter which method you use, freshly shredded carrots will give you the best moisture and texture in this cake.
How To Make Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
To get started, grease your pans and line them with parchment paper (I love these pre-cut rounds). That little bit of prep makes removal so much easier later! Then the rest comes together quickly.
Next, make the carrot cake batter. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. You can use a whisk, but I usually grab my hand mixer and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds to make it extra smooth. Then, add the dry mixture to the wet and blend for another minute until fully combined. Once the batter is smooth, gently fold in the shredded carrots and pecans.
Then, pour the batter into pans and bake. Then smooth the tops with a spatula. Note that they’ll only be about ¼ full, and that’s okay. Bake the cakes at 325°F for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Once they’re done, let them cool for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Finally, make the frosting by blending the ingredients in a large bowl with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Divide the frosting between the cake layers, saving some frosting for the top and sides. Lastly, don’t forget the chopped pecans for that final crunchy touch!
My Baking Tips and Substitutions
- If you don’t eat dairy, the cake itself can easily be made dairy-free by using ghee or coconut oil. And honestly, it’s delicious even without frosting. You could also make a dairy-free buttercream.
- Feel free to customize this cake with classic add-ins. I love adding raisins, shredded coconut, or even crushed pineapple!
- If you don’t have three 8-inch pans, you can use two 9-inch pans instead. These will take a bit longer to cook, so do keep an eye on them.
- If I’m making this cake in advance, I’ll wrap the cooled, unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap. Then, I’ll refrigerate them for a couple of days or freeze them for a couple of weeks. Once they’re thawed back to room temperature, it’s easy to add frosting to the layers before serving!
- You can also store the fully frosted cake at room temperature or in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Because this is a “rustic” cake with minimal frosting on the sides, just be aware that it can dry out a bit faster than a fully frosted cake.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
- Paleo Chocolate Cake: The best ever chocolate cake.
- Almond Cake: A light cake to pair with coffee or tea.
- Paleo Lemon Blueberry Cake: This is a springtime favorite.
- Flourless Chocolate Cake: It’s light and fluffy.
- Berry Sheet Cake: Perfect for serving a crowd.
If you try this gluten-free carrot cake recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here or follow me on Pinterest!
Description
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup butter, ghee, or coconut oil, melted and room temperature
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped pecans, plus extra for garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, or more as needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease the pans. Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease three 8-inch pans and line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper.
- Make the carrot cake batter. In a medium bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together. In a separate large bowl, add the eggs, butter, applesauce and vanilla extract. With a whisk or hand mixer on medium speed, blend together for 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and blend for another minute, until well combined. Fold in the shredded carrots and chopped pecans.
- Bake the cakes. Evenly divide the cake batter between the three 8-inchpans. They'll only be about ¼ full and that's okay. Use a spatula to flatten them on top or gently tap them on the counter. Cook the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove them from the pan and continue cooling them on a cooling rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together to the bowl of a stand mixer and blend on medium speed, until creamy. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed.
- Frost the cakes. Divide the frosting between the layers and add a thin layer of frosting to the outside edge. Use a spatula to scrape any excess off, as you would if you were crumb coating a cake. Add a sprinkle of chopped pecans on top.
Lisa’s Tips
- Pan options: You can bake this in two 9-inch pans instead of three 8-inch pans. Just note that they may take 5 to 10 minutes longer to cook, though do keep an eye on them.
- Dairy-free option: Swap the butter for ghee or coconut oil. The cake itself is delicious even without frosting. And for the frosting, you can use your favorite dairy-free buttercream.
- Make-ahead tip: Wrap cooled, unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks. Frost after thawing.
- Storing frosted cake: Store covered at room temperature or in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally published April 2017, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Behind The Scenes
I have made this gluten-free carrot cake so many times I’ve lost count! It’s just one of those foolproof cake recipes that turns out perfectly every time. And my type-A side loves that the cake layers always bake perfectly flat. The cake itself is a more rustic looking cake, which I love, but it should also go without saying that if there’s even a smidge of leftover cream cheese frosting that I’ve scrapped off to get that look… it instantly goes right into my mouth!
This cake deserves at least 10 stars!!! Super moist and delicious. I served this when company came for dinner and it earned rave reviews. Your recipes never disappoint – thank you, Lisa.
I’m so glad this cake turned out great Sue!
Incredible, super moist BEST carrot 🥕 cake recipe I have tasted. My cakes were perfect. Did not last. All enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing. Will be made every Easter and yearly celebrations in our family.
Yay, so happy you and your family love the carrot cake, Rebecca!
Hi I would like to suggest you use goat cheese instead of cream cheese. It is wonderful.
Am making this cake for tomorrow
Eastern Sunday with the glase honey ham
Hopping that they come out right
Happy Easter to you all
I have made this 🥕 cake several times. It is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. I’m not a gluten free person but when I saw this recipe, I had to try it.
I will always go to this recipe when I need a delicious and super moist carrot cake in my life ♡♡♡
Wonderful! Happy you loved it, Lillian!
I made this cake a couple years ago during a girls getogether, it was an excellent recipe ! everything worked in harmony and not only was it a treat, it was a healthy one, i loved every. Single. Bite!
I’m not sure if I did something wrong, but I just tried to make this in two 9″ cake pans. The cakes have been baking for 35 minutes. They aren’t done yet, but they have risen all the way to the top of the pans. They were half full when I put them in. I will be interested to see how they come out. I hope I didn’t screw up the recipe.
Really my favorite gf dessert. Wow this is spectacular . I did cupcakes. Froze some. I added raisins. Would add coconut next time also. Tysm for this amazing recipe.
Glad you enjoyed these as cupcakes Kathy!
this carrot cake is the bomb , I had to cook mine 15 min longer used 3 pans, shows how oven temperatures vary. I used brown monk fruit instead of coconut sugar, for the frosting I used 16 0z cream cheese ( I have done this with trader joes vegan cream cheese also and can’t even tell its not the real thing) used 1 cup of lakanto powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and no butter. dont hesitate to try this I like it better than the gluten ones.
I had to entertain twice today so decided to make this cake! What a hit amongst everyone!! You made me look like a serious pro in the kitchen. Everyone raved about the cake and I’ll definitely be making this again very soon. Thanks for another perfect recipe!
Can I make this cake with NO eggs, perhaps using Flax Eggs? I have someone in the family who is allergic to eggs.
Thanks
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs yet.
Your recipes are staples at our house! Planning to make this for my daughter’s 1st birthday… I’m wondering if it’s possible to modify it to exclude the pecans though? Would that significantly alter the cake texture?
It’s nice to to have that crunchy texture like a normal carrot cake does. But you can exclude it if you’d like.
It was delicious! 😋
Thank you for sharing wonderful recipe. Great Idea,
Made this for Easter and it was a hit. No one even knew it was gluten free and it was so delicious. I was asked to make it every year for Easter! Thanks for the great recipe.
I made this for Easter and I had to share my sad/funny story. I made the cake on Saturday, iced it, and added the chopped pecans on top. It was beautiful! I felt like my icing was super runny (it’s pretty warm here in SC already) so I thought I’d pop it in the fridge overnight. Well, my cake stand is heavy glass and when I went to put it on the shelf in the garage fridge, the glass finial on the top caught the shelf above and yes, it tilted forward and took the top layers with it🤦♀️! What a mess all over the bottom of the fridge and garage floor. I have never done that and I could have cried😭, but said a few swear words instead🤬. We had just the bottom layer today and it was soooo delicious😋! I will definitely make this again but turn on the air conditioning next time! It was so moist, and the flavors were just right. The accident probably actually saved my waistline. 😀
I just made this and used the coconut oil. I also used coconut oil to grease the pan lightly. The cake didn’t rise in the middle much at all, and it was oily. It didn’t come out of the pan without breaking. Not sure if i should have left it in the oven longer but it was cooked. I’m sure it’ll still taste good, it was just a mess to frost. I’ll try again in the future!
Followed recipe and made into cupcakes! Absolutely the best! Before my diagnosis of celiac I was to bring carrot cake cupcakes to Easter gatherings. So I gave these a try and great reviews from all the family. The comments were that they were better than the ones I use to make! It made 24 cupcakes and enough icing! Thank you for this recipe and all the others that I have enjoyed making and eating!
Happy to hear this recipe turned out great as cupcakes Aleta! :)
I love the idea of carrot cake cupcakes. How long did you bake your cupcakes?
amazing cake, just as good as regular. to make it sugar free I use 3/4 cup monk fruit in the cake, and 1 cup powdered monk fruit in the frosting, you would never know it wasn’t regular sugar.
I could not find the vegan cream cheese, I have found it in the past and it makes yummy frosting.
thanks for the great recipe.
Happy Easter all
I just made this carrot cake today and wow – absolutely delicious! Not too sweet and very moist. I used two 9-inch pans, and halved the frosting recipe. It was the perfect amount of icing for two layers. Thank you again Lisa for another great recipe. Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Wow! Lisa this is the best cake ever. My very first cake that I have ever baked in my life and it turned out perfect. I am still shocked by it’s success. I made it for my son’s birthday on the 5th January this 2022 and we were all thrilled. My husband has 3 slices at once and the children 2 slices each. I am so proud of myself. Thank you so much for the confidence that you have given me. I have been relying so much on bought GF-products since the Dr put me on protocol diet from early 2020 because it was a challenging transition for me, but now I feel even more in charge of my kitchen and nutrition and it’s contributing so positively to my health. I so wish you were providing health coaching to individuals, because you’re superb and passionate at what you do.
The transition can always be challenging in the beginning, but once you learn how to utilize wholesome ingredients and certain cooking methods, it becomes much easier! But, happy to hear you’re becoming confident again in the kitchen, and that you and your family enjoyed this carrot cake for your son’s birthday :)
I get confussed whenever I see Tapioca flour or Cassava flour. Did you use the starch or the flour? The consistency will change if I use either one of them.
I’m using tapioca flour for this.
Hi how long would you recommend baking these as cupcakes?
Hi Ashley – I haven’t tried baking these as cupcakes yet, but I think you can bake them for the same amount of time. Just make sure to do the toothpick test to see if the middle is cooked. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out!
I made this delicious cake yesterday. Instead of the frosting with cream cheese I used the chocolate ganache from living healthy with chocolate. It’s a win win. Thanks Lisa for this wonderful recipe.
So glad you enjoyed this carrot cake Marli! Love the idea of mixing it with a chocolate ganache instead.
hi , I have one question why did not you use coconut flour in this cake because I checked you used in chocolate paleo cake. And Can I use buttermilk or yogurt or warm milk in place of applesauce because its to get this in India.
One more request please try to make other variety of cake also like vanilla cake, red velvet cake, cheese cakes etc.
I am new in Baking so learning from you :)
Waiting for your response. Thank you
I use different gluten-free flours in all my recipes, depending on the texture and other ingredients in the recipe. :)
As I type this, I am in my kitchen preparing to make this delicious cake again! I made it for Easter this year and I and my family LOVED it! It turned out incredibly moist and delicious – more than delicious. I highly recommend anyone who is gluten free, as I am, to make this cake. I wasn’t too sure how I would like it as I am not a huge carrot cake person, BUT THIS CARROT CAKE, y’all. Just make it and you’ll see. Note: I used real cream cheese and coconut oil. I also used palm-oil shortening in place of the butter for the icing and what a HIT!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this carrot cake recipe so much Elizabeth!
I made this cake for my birthday yesterday and brought it to work. Everyone loved it and they were really surprised that it was gluten and dairy free. It gave me a chance to promote your blog to my boss, whose wife eats vegan and gluten free. I really wanted to make a dairy free cream cheese frosting, but after looking in 8 stores for vegan cream cheese, I had to give up. Apparently vegan products are in higher demand than they can produce here in Norway. So I made the dairy free SMBC instead and everyone loved how light and less sweet it was :) Will be making this again :D
Oh no! Sorry to hear it was difficult to find a vegan cream cheese. But glad this entire cake was a winner with your SMBC that you made instead :) Also, thanks so much for sharing Downshiftology!
Made it , It was the best carrot cake EVER! Moist, Gluten free!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this carrot cake Daniele!
Is the nutritional info per serving or for the whole cake! Seems too high per serving but wanted to clarify.
The nutritional information will always be per serving! This cake is a bit more since there are three layers.
Hi
Can i make this recipie in three 6-inch pans? Can you tell me the cooking time?
Thanks
Hi there – if you’re using 6-inch pans, it will make each layer a lot thicker. Which means you’ll need to play around with the cooking time.
I never had a carrot cake with this much mix of flavors! It was amazing. Made this twice already and will do it again this coming week!
Thank you for the awesome recipe again, Lisa!
Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this carrot cake so much Michiko!
I tried this recipe for Easter and it was a hit!! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe and I have to say…adding the pineapple is key! Delicious and a recipe I will make over and over! Yum! Xoxo
Happy to hear this cake was a success for Easter!
Made for Easter as it’s one of my husband’s favorite deserts. It was devine! This will definitely be on my rotation!
Happy to hear this recipe was a winner :)
I made this for Easter and it turned out amazing! It was my 1st time making a carrot cake as well as my 1st attempt at a layer cake. Really helpful directions and notes were a bonus with this recipe. Overall flavor and texture were great. Everyone wants me to make it again!
So glad to hear your first ever carrot cake turned out perfectly Jalene!
Hi
If I halve the recipe how many eggs should I use? 2 or 3? Thanks!
This cake was SO moist and delicious. I think we even left it in the convection oven for ten minutes longer than planned and it came out great. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Wonderful! Glad this cake turned out perfectly.
I made this cake for easter and my whole family loved it. It was easy to make and quick to put together. The amount of frosting is also perfect because it’s not over powering.
Glad this recipe was a hit Paige!
I made it for Easter and it was a real hit!!!
Glad this cake was a hit over Easter!
Absolutely delicious!! We made this for Easter Sunday and the entire family enjoyed every single bite! No one could tell it was gluten free. Thank you!
Wish I could share a photo
Happy to hear this was an Easter success Candice :)
Love the recipe and turned out great even though I didn’t have all the exact ingredients! I just halved the recipe, substituted baking powder for the baking soda/cream of tartar, and Bob mill’s gluten free flour for the tapioca flour. Also, made it in the bread maker -requires wet ingredients at the bottom and dry ingredients at the top.
Glad this carrot cake turned out great even though you had to tweak a few things.
Wonderful carrot cake, so moist! I will bring it to my family for our Easter gathering. I live in Stockholm, Sweden where nobody seem to have heard of cream of tartar.. So I googled and substituted 2 tsp of baking soda with 6 tsp of baking powder, is this correct? It tasted delicious however I am still keen to know if I did it correctly, the cakes were perhaps a bit on the thin side and the correct amount of baking powder might be crucial?
Thank you for all these wonderful recipes and inspiration for a beginner in the kitchen!
Kind regards
Ulrika
Hi Ulrika – so happy you loved the carrot cake! Yes, you can substitute baking powder for the baking soda and cream of tartar. No prob! This cake doesn’t rise much, they are very thin layers. So sounds like you baked it perfectly!
Thank you so much! This recipe sounds delicious and I will immediately prepare them this evening.
Excited for you to make this one! :)
I’m so excited for this! Carrot cake is my favorite and I came to your website about a week ago hoping you would have a recipe (as your recipes are always winners), and I didn’t find one. I think I was a day too early. Low behold, here it is!!! Question though: Can I substitute crushed pineapple for the applesauce? Can’t wait!
Awesome, I hope you enjoy the recipe, Tiffany! And yes, no prob. That’s would be a tasty sub!
Hi Lisa,
What would you recommend substituting the eggs with (and what measurement)?
Hi Samantha – Unfortunately I haven’t tried this without eggs.
Hi, This looks soooooo good! Can I half the recipe and make cupcakes instead? If so, how would I adjust the baking time? Thanks!
Hi Denise – yes, you can certainly do that! I’m not sure on the time as I haven’t yet tried that myself. But I’d just keep an eye on them after about 25 minutes or so.
My son is allergic to applesauce. Could you tell me what substitution would work in lieu of the 1/2 cup applesauce in the recipe? I would LOVE to make this for Easter! Thanks!
Hi Jan – you could use mashed banana as well. Or probably even a little bit more oil/butter instead of the applesauce. Hope you enjoy it!
You say using 2 cake pan’s instead of 3 then adjust baking tine accordingly. What should that be????
Hi Peggy – with thicker cakes they’ll take longer to bake. I’d just keep an eye on them after 35 minutes, and test every couple of minutes with a toothpick to see if they’re done.
Incredibly delicious!! My family had no clue it was gluten-free and when I told them, they didn’t believe me. An absolute hit!
This one will surely fool those who aren’t gluten-free! Glad everyone loved it.
Hello, this looks so good I can’t wait to make it. My question is different from the others actually…I’d like to know where you got your white cake stand holding that lovely cake? 😂
Hi Zaina – I got the cake stand from Crate & Barrel quite some time ago!
Made this yesterday as I needed to use up some carrots and it is so moist and good! I didn’t have three 8 inch cake pans so used two 9 inch pans and baked about the same time in a convection oven. It still looks pretty! I used about 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar for the frosting and it wasn’t too sweet. I love the chocolate cake recipe and now this one is a keeper too!
Thanks so much!
Happy to hear you loved this carrot cake Sharon!
If I make cupcakes with this recipe the carrot cake how long do I how Do I keep them in the oven and at what temperature please thank you
Dear Lisa
Thank you for the wonderful and tastiest recipes you send to my inbox.
I am always on a lookout to receive them.
I’ve made some of your recipes and my family love them.
I really appreciate your generosity in sharing them with us all.
All the best
from your Brazilian friend
Gisa
Hi Gisa – I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you for taking the time to make them!