Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

My dad has two favorite desserts: carrot cake and peach cobbler. Every year for his birthday, I try to surprise him with a homemade dessert to celebrate his special day. It’s safe to say it’s not much of a surprise after continuing this tradition for many years, but it’s a fun excuse to create a recipe. This year I decided to go with carrot cake. When I think about the perfect carrot cake, it needs to be moist, have varying texture, and frosting that isn’t overly sweet. This carrot cake checks all of those boxes. The applesauce and Greek yogurt help to keep this cake moist, while the walnuts add a nice crunch. Some people like adding raisins to carrot cake, but I’m not a huge fan of dried fruit in my baked goods. Have you ever eaten an oatmeal raisin cookie thinking it was chocolate chip? It’s the worst!

This cake is easy to make and guaranteed to impress. I feel confident saying it’s the best carrot cake I’ve eaten, and the best part is that it’s gluten-free. After battling stomach issues for years, I changed to a gluten-free lifestyle but refuse to sacrifice flavor. Give this recipe a shot and drop a note in the comments! I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that this cake is light and full of flavor. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Serves: 16

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 35 minutes – Total Time: 55 minutes, plus cooling time

This gluten-free carrot cake is moist, perfectly sweet, and has a touch of spices. You won’t need another carrot cake recipe after trying this one!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup (53g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup (57g) plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%), room temperature
• 2/3 cup (128g) sugar
• 2/3 cup (128g) packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature and whisked
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (224g) blanched almond flour
• 2 tbsp (15g) tapioca flour, plus extra for dusting pans
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 3 cups (10 oz) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts, optional
• 1 batch of cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162 degrees Celsius). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust with tapioca flour. Shake off the excess flour.

2

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the butter, applesauce, Greek yogurt, and sugars until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

3

In a separate bowl, stir the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.

4

Fold in the shredded carrots and walnuts.

5

Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6

Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Nutrition

• 429 Calories
• 22.8g Carbohydrates
• 49.8g Fat
• 6.5g Protein
• 9.8g Saturated fat
• 42.8g Sugar