Easy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Easy gluten-free carrot cake recipe that bakes up fluffy, moist and delicious!  Loaded with a pound of fresh carrots, toasted  nuts and warm spices. 

I was hearing some grumbling from certain family members about not being able to eat carrot cake at a local restaurant anymore because it wasn’t gluten-free. They made the best from scratch carrot cake; light, fluffy, & moist with a smooth cream cheese frosting.  So good it almost made your teeth hurt!!  Pair it with a steaming cup of coffee or glass of milk and it’s pure carrot cake nirvana!

There is absolutely no reason why being gluten-free means that you have to give up those fluffy homemade cakes!  If my family wanted carrot cake then carrot cake they shall get!

Mission Gluten-Free Carrot Cake: Accepted!

I unearthed the baking pans, dug through some old cookbooks, gathered up all the fresh ingredients I needed and went into full-force work mode!

After a few trial and errors, out came this gluten-free cake masterpiece! I mean, can’t you just look at that picture above and tell how incredible that first bite is gonna be? Oh.My.Goodness. It was everything I hoped for. Fluffy, moist cake perfection. This gluten-free carrot cake is loaded with toasted walnuts and a whopping pound of fresh carrots which makes it incredibly moist. If I didn’t witness myself adding the gluten-free flour I would have never guessed it was a gluten-free carrot cake. To me, that is a win!

Feel free to add in pineapples, coconut flakes, or golden raisins for added flavor and texture!

Now let’s talk about the trial and errors because let’s face it, baking gluten-free can be an entirely different animal. I find the biggest challenge with baking gluten free cakes is the fact they do not rise as high as cakes using gluten containing flour.  Here are a few tips I like to use to create gluten-free cakes that are high and fluffy.

What carrot cake would be complete without a decadent homemade frosting right?  I whipped up an easy basic frosting for this gluten-free carrot cake. It complimented it so well with just the right amount of tartness.

It wasn’t enough that I adored this easy gluten-free carrot cake, the real verdict would have to come from the family!  I started a pot of coffee and called in the judges.  The verdict? Guilty of being one of the best carrots cakes they’d ever had!

Gluten-free Carrot Cake Mission: Completed.

Here’s how to make this Easy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

5.0 from 2 reviews

Carrot Cake

 

Print

Author: lets be yummy

Ingredients

• Cake Ingredients
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature.
• 2½ cups Pamela's Artisan Flour
• 1 teaspoon gf baking powder
• 1 teaspoon gf baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons gf vanilla extract
• ½ cup water
• 1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium) peeled and shredded, using large holes on grater or use food
• processor: makes about 2¼ cups
• 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
• Icing Ingredients
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup shortening
• 3 cups powder sugar
• 1 Tablespoon gf vanilla extract
• 4 Tablespoons buttermilk*

Instructions

1. Cake Directions
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. ONCE oven is heated, put pecans or walnuts in to roast 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. Once roasted chop nuts.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg.
4. Place butter in bowl (KEEP wrappers to butter three 9 inch cake pans) and mix on medium speed with both sugars 3 to 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each egg.
6. Beat for 3 minutes. Then add vanilla, water and carrots and beat until well combined or about 2 minutes.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low, add flour mixture and then pecans or walnuts.
8. Evenly divide batter among the buttered pans. Rotate pans once halfway through baking, until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean, bake 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Allow pans to cool on wire racks for 15 minutes.
10. Turn cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
11. Icing Directions
12. In a mixer beat butter until soft and creamy.
13. Add shortening and beat again. The longer you beat the shortening the lighter it will make the frosting. I beat mine for about 3 minutes.
14. Add vanilla and mix well.
15. Add powder sugar 1 cup at a time. I place a towel over the bowl to prevent a huge mess from the sugar flying every. You still might have a small mess but nothing like what you would have if you don't cover it at all.
16. Add milk one tablespoon at a time. If you don't like the consistency you can add more buttermilk one tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.

Notes

*place 1 Tablespoon vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add non dairy milk of choice to make 1 cup. Let sit for 5 minutes before using. If you make buttermilk in advance make sure to shake it well before using.

3.4.3177