Gluten-Free Spiced Carrot Cake

Ingredients

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• 2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 0.75 cup packed light brown sugar Shop
• 0.25 cup granulated sugar Shop
• 0.5 cup melted coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil Shop
• 1/3 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (like almond or soy), at room temperature Shop
• 1.5 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (e.g., rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch) Shop
• 0.5 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your GF flour blend already contains it) Shop
• 1.5 tsp gluten-free baking powder Shop
• 0.5 tsp baking soda Shop
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon Shop
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg Shop
• 0.5 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Shop

Weighing instead of using cups, or swapping a flour or binder? Use the gluten-free flour substitution calculator.

Instructions

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and no lumps of brown sugar remain, about 1 minute. Whisk in the oil and plant-based milk until the mixture looks glossy and combined.
3. 3 In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until no lumps remain.
4. 4 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the grated carrots and the nuts, if using. The batter will be thick.
5. 5 Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is deep golden, springs back when pressed, and a skewer in the center comes out clean.
6. 6 Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack and let it cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing or frosting. Gluten-free cakes firm up as they cool, so a warm cake may crumble when cut.

Tips & Notes

• Pack the grated carrots loosely when you measure them, and if they are very wet, squeeze them lightly in a towel. Extra moisture makes the center of a gluten-free cake gummy.
• Toast the walnuts or pecans and toss them in a spoonful of the flour blend before folding them in so they don't sink to the bottom.
• The cake is unfrosted as written. If you add a frosting, choose cream cheese and powdered sugar labeled gluten-free.

Common questions