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–+ servings
A rectangular Gluten Free Dairy Free Carrot Cake with white frosting, topped with carrot ribbons and chopped nuts, partially sliced into squares on parchment paper.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Carrot Cake

A carrot snack cake made gluten and dairy free. This classic cake recipe has a moist crumb, warm spices, and can be made with or without raisins. Topped with a dairy free maple buttercream frosting.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 9

Ingredients

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses
  • 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil melted plus more for pan, or use vegtable oil
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
  • ½ cup raisins optional

Maple Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your baking pan with extra coconut oil.
  • Add dry ingredients (GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg) to a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, vanilla, sugar, molasses and applesauce. Mix on high until creamy. While the mixer is running slowly pour in the melted coconut oil.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet slowly. Mix until the batter well combined and there are no big lumps. Gently fold in grated carrots, nuts, and fruit by hand.
  • Add to the prepped pan and smooth out the top. Rest the cake batter for 10 minutes. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Dairy Free Maple Buttercream

  • In a mixing, add butter and maple syrup and whip together until smooth. Gradually, add powdered sugar (½ cup at a time), while continuing to mix until frosting is thick and creamy.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Hand grate the carrots, using a food processor makes them too moist.
  2. Sub ½ c granulated sugar + ½ c brown sugar for the sugar and molasses for a less rich cake.