My first attempt at a gluten free recipe for carrot cake came out dense enough to use as a doorstop. I’d used a coarse rice flour blend and skipped the xanthan gum, thinking one bad substitution wouldn’t matter much. It mattered a lot. Once I switched to a properly balanced flour blend, this became one of the few gluten free desserts nobody at the table can tell apart from the regular version. It works as a full layer cake or as a recipe for gluten free carrot cake cupcakes if you’re feeding a crowd that wants individual portions.

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend (with xanthan gum, or add 1 tsp separately)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups finely shredded carrots (freshly grated, not pre-shredded)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preparation

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl, making sure there aren’t any lumps left from the flour blend. Grate the carrots yourself rather than buying the pre-shredded bags, since those tend to be drier and add less moisture to the batter. Grease two 9-inch round pans, or line two cupcake pans with paper liners if you’re making a recipe for gluten free carrot cake cupcakes instead. Measure everything before you start mixing, since gluten free batter doesn’t forgive a rushed step the way wheat batter sometimes does.

Cooking

Whisk the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a separate bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two batches, stirring just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the shredded carrots and walnuts by hand, since overmixing at this stage can make the crumb gummy in gluten free recipes for carrot cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes for round cakes, or 18 to 20 minutes for cupcakes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serving

Let the cake cool in the pans for ten minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. A cream cheese frosting is the traditional pairing, though the cake holds up fine unfrosted if you want something lighter. Slice with a serrated knife for cleaner edges, since gluten free cake tends to be a bit more delicate than wheat-based versions. Store leftovers in the fridge if frosted, since cream cheese frosting doesn’t hold up well at room temperature for more than a couple hours.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts (one serving):

• Calories: 310
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 65mg
• Sodium: 260mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 34g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 21g
• Protein: 4g

Tips and Variations

Crushed pineapple, drained well, adds extra moisture if your gluten free flour blend tends to bake dry, though it also sweetens the cake more than the traditional version calls for. Raisins work if you like them in carrot cake, though I’d soak them in warm water for ten minutes first so they don’t pull moisture out of the batter as it bakes. Coconut sugar can replace the brown sugar for a slightly less sweet, more caramel-like flavor.

If you’re baking recipes for gluten free carrot cake regularly, weighing your flour instead of scooping it with a measuring cup solves most of the density problems people run into, since scooped gluten free flour packs down more than you’d expect.

Conclusion

This cake actually improves overnight more than a wheat version does. Gluten free flour blends keep absorbing moisture from the carrots for a good twelve hours after baking, so a cake that tastes slightly dry on day one often turns tender by the next afternoon. If you’re baking for an event, that’s a reason to make it a day ahead rather than a compromise you’re settling for.

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