Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (2024)

Rebecca Baron 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This gluten-free carrot cake recipe is a little healthier than most since it replaces ½ cup of oil with ½ of applesauce and it uses less sugar. This is the best carrot cake recipe ever, well at least I think so. I'm pretty sure my whole family thinks it's the best carrot cake recipe too. My mom has made this so many times that any other carrot cake is gross. Seriously. I won't eat any other carrot cake.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (1)

I can't stand it when people put pineapple and ginger and all those strong spices in carrot cake. Why do they have to take a perfectly delicious cake and add a bunch of crap to it? Don't even get me started on soggy nuts in the cake. This cake has a perfect texture that compliments the cream cheese frosting. Plus, it's so easy that my 11-year-old daughter likes to make it. Part of the reason it's so easy is that it has a lot fewer ingredients than other carrots cakes.

I must say I have tried so many recipes for carrot cake and they never taste as good as this one. The applesauce makes it super moist. I love how this recipe has applesauce in it. I think it adds a little bit of a healthier twist to the cake! If you don't have applesauce, you can substitute the applesauce with more oil.

The icing is a cream cheese frosting, which is my favorite frosting because is not nearly as sugary as regular frosting. Usually, white frosting is way too overwhelming for me and I pick it off. (Chocolate frosting is a whole different story though). Anyway, I think you got the point, I REALLY like this recipe! I hope that you will enjoy it as well and I would love your comments.

In my family, every year on my birthday my mom lets us children choose what cake we would like on our birthday. As long as I can remember I have always chosen this carrot cake recipe and so do several of my siblings. It is so delicious! Seeing that it was my birthday last week, my mom made this cake for our family birthday party we had! Happy Birthday to me! 🙂 We got together as a family and had ice cream with it too! The whole cake was gone in minutes!! I plan to have this carrot cake on my birthday every year, if not more!

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (2)

Print

Recipe

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (3)

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 15 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Description

This carrot cake recipe is gluten-free with cream cheese frosting is my absolute favorite dessert recipe. My mom makes this for my birthday every year. It has been passed down for generations.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 Cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend *
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • ½ Cup Vegetable Oil of choice
  • ½ Cup Applesauce
  • 2 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 Cups Grated Carrots
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Tbl Butter (½ stick)
  • Chopped Walnuts (or your favorite type of nut, such as pecans, optional)

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then grease the top. Or grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans with gluten-free flour *.

  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center and add sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Blend together lightly with a beater. Fold in grated carrots.

  3. Bake at 350 degrees, for 45 minutes.
  4. While the cake is cooking you can make the icing. In a medium size bowl put in cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter. Mix with a hand mixer or a wire whisk if you don't have one!
  5. After the cake has cooked pull the oven and let it cool. When the cake is cooled down put icing on it. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top if desired.

Keywords: light, healthy, gluten-free

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (4)

You may also like..

  • The Best Gluten-Free Desserts on My Natural Family
  • No-Bake Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Easter Egg Truffles
  • Gluten-Free Easter Cupcakes Recipe
  • Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake From Scratch Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tyler Empey

    This has got to be the best frosting recipe ever! Seriously. I could lick the entire bowl.

    Reply

  2. Mimi

    I love the flavor of cream cheese frosting and I absolutely love this carrot cake!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Frosting - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

The two simple ingredients that makes this cake amazing are the oil and Greek yogurt. I love using oil in cakes because not only does it make your cake moist, but it also STAYS moist for much longer than if you used butter. That's because oil is 100% fat where butter is around 80%.

What makes a gluten-free cake rise? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

What is carrot cake icing made of? ›

With only four ingredients — butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar — the best cream cheese frosting recipe is one that gets the proportions just right. This recipe keeps things pleasantly tangy by using one part butter to two parts cream cheese, which helps balance the sweetness.

Is Sara Lee carrot cake gluten-free? ›

Contains Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Milk, Walnut. May Contain Soy, Peanut, Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan.

Is it better to make carrot cake with butter or oil? ›

Oil adds moisture (canola or vegetable oil will work) and unsalted butter adds a rich flavor. Don't substitute one for the other–we really need both here!

What makes a cake more moist oil or butter? ›

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Do gluten-free cakes need more liquid? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

What is the fancy name for carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.

What is the healthiest cake to eat? ›

Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is healthy because It does not contain egg yolk and butter. Without egg yolk and butter these cakes are low on calories and fats. A single slice of Angel Food Cake contains just almost around 70 calories.

Why do carrots turn black in carrot cake? ›

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Can celiacs eat gluten free cake? ›

Although regular breads and cakes are not included in a gluten free diet, there are many creative ways in which people with coeliac disease can have their cake and eat it! Gluten gives bread, cakes and pastry the right texture. Without gluten, bread is less chewy and cakes and pastry can be drier and more crumbly.

Does Dairy Queen cakes have gluten? ›

Yes Dairy Queen Has Gluten free products. Keep in mind that Gluten is in many DQ products and cross contact may easily occur during product preparation within our store locations.

Is Betty Crocker cake frosting gluten free? ›

Yes. Q: Is Betty Crocker® frosting gluten free? All flavors of Betty Crocker Ready-to-Spread Frosting are labeled “gluten free”.

Can I use butter instead of oil in carrot cake? ›

Unlike many other recipes, mine makes use of brown butter instead of oil, a simple swap that layers in some toasty toffee flavors while keeping the cake as moist and rich as those made with oil.

Why does carrot cake call for oil instead of butter? ›

Oil-Based Cakes: Carrot cake recipes often use vegetable oil (e.g., canola or sunflower oil) instead of butter as the primary fat. Oil-based cakes tend to be moister and have a softer, more tender crumb. The mild flavor of vegetable oil also allows the carrot and spice flavors to shine through.

Why is butter not used in cake baking? ›

A cake made with butter will be dense and chewy if it's been refrigerated and not allowed time to come back up to room temperature whereas a cake made with oil will have the same texture and fluffiness cold as it has when it is warm. Cakes made with oil are moister and stay that way longer than those made with butter.

What is the effect of butter in cake? ›

The job of butter in baking (besides being delicious) is to give richness, tenderness and structure to cookies, cakes, pies and pastries. We alter the way butter works in a recipe by changing its temperature and choosing when to combine it with the other ingredients.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Stevie Stamm

Last Updated:

Views: 6231

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Stevie Stamm

Birthday: 1996-06-22

Address: Apt. 419 4200 Sipes Estate, East Delmerview, WY 05617

Phone: +342332224300

Job: Future Advertising Analyst

Hobby: Leather crafting, Puzzles, Leather crafting, scrapbook, Urban exploration, Cabaret, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.