Gluten Free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is moist, delicious and a great choice for people on a gluten free diet. If you omit the frosting on top of your cake, this recipe is paleo making it perfect for people who follow the paleo diet.
Carrot cake is a popular recipe, but it often contains gluten which makes it unsuitable for people with celiac disease or a gluten allergy. This recipe uses gluten free flour to make a delicious cake that everyone can enjoy.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Easter is right around the corner, can you believe it? Each spring, carrot cake is a popular recipe, but it often contains gluten which makes it unsuitable for people with celiac disease or a gluten allergy. This recipe uses gluten free flour to make a delicious cake that everyone can enjoy.
Recently I saw a fancy layered carrot cake at a local bakery and I thought most people would feel sick eating so much sugar and flour.
Though I love a good carrot cake like anyone else, it was clear this wasn’t something I was going to be able to enjoy. So I went to work coming up with a cake that would taste like you want a carrot cake to taste, without making me feel like crap after.
How to Make a Gluten Free Carrot Cake
I couldn’t wait to try out the recipe the next day. I just knew it would be awesome, and boy was it!
This is a seriously dense moist cake that will make your mouth water. I promise not a sole will know it is gluten free so you can feel good about serving it not just for Easter brunch, but all year round.
Loaded with carrots, spices, and walnuts it’s filled with the signature flavors of a great carrot cake.
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Though this cream cheese frosting without butter tastes amazing, if you’re trying to make the recipe paleo, you’ll want to skip the cream cream frosting.
The cream cheese mixed with maple syrup is so light and fluffy, it makes a delicious frosting that pairs perfectly with the dense gluten free cake. You won’t regret making this to die for carrot cake!
Gluten free carrot cake is a delicious alternative to traditional carrot cake. This recipe for gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is fluffy and flavorful, and the cream cheese frosting is perfect without butter.
If you are looking for a gluten free dessert that will impress your friends and family, this carrot cake is sure to please!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca
- 1/3 coconut flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ? teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts {optional}
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 ripe bananas 1 1/4 cups, mashed well
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots about 3 medium
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 2 eggs lightly whisked
Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8×8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.
- Stir together the maple syrup and melted butter.
- In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the butter mixture.
- Whisk in the coconut cream and the eggs.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake – it’ll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
Frosting:
- While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and maple syrup.
- When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.
Notes
Categories:
This looks wonderful! I haven’t tried baking with tapioca, but I need to. I’m not an experienced GF baker at all! I love how simple the frosting is and not too sweet. Sounds perfect!
Thanks Andi!
This looks absolutely delicious! I love that there is no white sugar. Just perfect 🙂
Dear Amy, This cake sounds wonderful and looks absolutely beautiful! xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
I have been wanting to create my own gluten-free carrot cake for some time! Yours looks amazing! Definitely have motivated me to experiment! 🙂
Thanks Kacey!
You just made my day, My Easter Cake is Planned woohooo, PLus I can eat as much as I can without worrying about Calories, well not much and sugar so cheers.
Hope you enjoy it Julie. Have a wonderful Easter!
We are fortunate that we don’t have gluten allergies. I can honestly say allergy or not I am making this cake! It looks fabulous!
Enjoy Chandra!
Is almond flour the same as almond meal? Is the tapioca in the little ball form or tapioca flour? How is coconut cream purchased? Could you give me a brand to look for? I would like to make this for a friend who is eating gluten-free and don’t know much about the ingredients you listed. I would be grateful for some help!
Jenny, Almond Meal and Almond Flour are the same thing. Tapioca Flour is a flour that you can find in your baking isle or organic baking isle at the grocery store. Coconut cream comes in a can, and the cream will be at the top for you to scoop out with a spoon. There will be water at the bottom, which is coconut water that you can drink or add to smoothies. Here are links to give you a better idea. Almond Flour: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Almond-Flour/dp/B00473RWXY/ref=sr_1_5?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1427204966&sr=1-5&keywords=almond+flour Tapioca: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Tapioca-Flour/dp/B0019GZ87Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1427204999&sr=1-1&keywords=tapioca+flour Coconut Cream:http://www.amazon.com/Native-Forest-Organic-Premium-Unsweetened/dp/B00AF7XMYY/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1427205022&sr=1-1&keywords=coconut+cream Let me know if you have anyother questions. Enjoy!
Hi Amy,
Trader Joe’s carries all of the ingredients (and their coconut cream is sooooo good). If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you I believe their products are available on Amazon.com
I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one slice!!
OMG my mouth is watering. Almost Paleo friendly is good for me…I will just count dairy as paleo for the day!
I love that this is GF — and I extra-love that it’s made in a loaf pan, so I can pass it off as “breakfast bread” and no one will get judgy that I’m eating cake for breakfast. 🙂
I am all about cake in the morning Yankee Kitchen Ninja!