Fluffy, Tender, and Easy Gluten Free
Carrot Cake (or Cupcakes!)
Partake in gluten free carrot cake (or cupcakes!) all year long with this easy
recipe. You'll love this perfectly spiced gf carrot cake and tangy cream
cheese frosting.
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Yield: 2 8-inch round cakes
Author: Nicole Hunn
EQUIPMENT
Stand mixer with paddle
attachment
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE
2 1/4 cups (315 g) all
purpose gluten free flour
blend (I like Cup4Cup here
best; Better Batter also
works well) (See Recipe
Notes re: cupcakes)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
omit if your blend already
contains it
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking
powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated
sugar
1/2 cup (109 g) packed
light brown sugar
1/2 cup (112 g) neutral oil
(like sunflower or
Save
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round baking
pans and set them aside. If making cupcakes, grease or line
two standard 12-cup muffin tins, and set them aside.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda,
baking powder, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar. Whisk
to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk again to
combine, working to break up any lumps in the brown sugar.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the
oil, eggs, vinegar, and milk, and mix to combine. Add the
(optional) pecans and white chocolate chips, and mix until
evenly distributed throughout.
4. Add the grated carrots to the mixture, and stir until evenly
distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be thick, but
relatively soft.
TO MAKE A CAKE.
1. Divide the batter evenly among the two prepared baking
pans, and spread into an even layer in each.
2. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the
cake is uniformly light brown on top, and beginning to pull
away from the sides of the pan rotating the pans once
during baking (35 to 40 minutes).
3. Remove the pans from the oven from the oven and allow the
cakes to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a
wire rack to cool completely.
 grapeseed oil)
4 (200 g (weighed out of
shell)) eggs at room
temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon apple cider
vinegar
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces)
milk at room temperature
1/2 cup (55 g) chopped
pecans plus more for
decorating (optional)
1/2 cup (3 ounces) white
chocolate chips (See
Recipe Notes if omitting MAKE THE FROSTING.
pecans)
3 cups (270 g) peeled and
grated carrots (from about
3 large carrots)
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese at
room temperature
8 tablespoons (112 g)
unsalted butter at room
temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups (460 g)
TO FROST A LAYER CAKE.
confectioners’ sugar plus
more as necessary
TO MAKE CUPCAKES.
1. Fill the wells of the prepared muffin tins about 3/4 of the
way full with batter, and shake the pan back and forth to
distribute the batter evenly in each well.
2. One at a time, place the muffin tins in the center of the
preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the
center of the cupcakes comes out with no more than a few
moist crumbs attached (about 20 minutes).
3. Remove the tin from the oven from the oven and allow the
cupcakes to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before
transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with
the remaining muffin tin.
1. While the cakes or cupcakes are cooling, in the bowl of your
stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large
bowl with a handheld mixer), place the cream cheese and
butter.
2. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5
minutes.
3. Add the salt, and 3 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Mix on
low speed until the sugar is absorbed. Turn the mixer to high
speed and beat until the frosting is thickened and fluffy.
4. Add more confectioners’ sugar as necessary to thicken the
frosting enough to hold its shape when scooped with a
spoon.
1. Turn one of the cooled cakes, top down, onto a serving
platter. Spoon about half of the frosting onto the top of the
cake and spread into an even layer.
2. Top with the second cake, top-down and press to adhere.
Spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake and top
with more chopped pecans, if desired. To make the cake
easier to slice, chill for about an hour in the refrigerator
before slicing and serving.

TO FROST CUPCAKES.
1. Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

NOTES
Changes if you're making cupcakes.

Reduce the flour blend by 1/4 cup (35 g) to 2 cups (280 g). The rest of the recipe remains the
same.
 You may want to halve the frosting recipe, as you need less frosting. Unless you really want to
pile it on (which I heartily recommend).
About the pecans in the cake batter. If you're not using pecans in the cake, use double the amount
of white chocolate chips, raising the amount to 6 ounces.

This recipe was originally published on the blog in 2013. Photos, text, video, cake variation modified in
2018 and again in 2022.

Fluffy, Tender, and Easy Gluten Free Carrot Cake (or Cupcakes!) from Nicole Hunn at Gluten Free on a Shoestring. Find recipe
online at https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-carrot-cake-cupcakes/