This Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe is moist and tender, thanks in large part to the zested carrots that add natural sweetness and keep the cake from drying out. That's right, I said zested. More about that later.
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves infuse this gluten free carrot cake with an aromatic warmth that perfectly complements the sweetness of the carrots, enhancing the depth of flavor. The tangy richness of homemade cream cheese icing balances the sweetness of the cake, adding a creamy texture that makes each bite irresistibly luscious.
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Why is this the Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe?
This recipe does something brilliant. Scroll up and look at the picture of my carrot cake. Do you see any carrots poking out anywhere? Nope.
I zest my carrots.
Not only does this take away the whole biting-into-a-carrot thing, but it's also the secret behind why this gluten-free cake is so moist. The small pieces of zested carrot combine with the crumb of the cake, making it so you won't even notice it's there, all while still enjoying all of the traditional flavors of carrot cake.
Now, if you're a fan of that crunchy carrot bite in your cake, that's fine. You can simply zest half of the carrots and leave the other half grated. Your kids might hate you, though.

Ingredients for this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe:
(dry ingredients)
- High quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag).
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground allspice
- Freshly grated whole nutmeg, or ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Chopped walnuts or pecans or raisins, optional
(wet ingredients)
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil, or other neutral-flavored oil
- Pure vanilla extract
- Zested carrots
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Pure vanilla extract
- Milk
- Powdered sugar

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F with the rack positioned in the center. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, nonstick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper cut into circles. Alternatively, you can use a 9x13 cake pan or a cupcake tray.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and eggs together. Add in the vanilla and oil, and beat until just combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice). Whisk until evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until just combined. Do not overmix - it's okay to have a few flour spots at this point.
- Stir in the zested carrots, and fold in the chopped nuts and/or raisins.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before setting the cake layers on a wire cooling rack.
- For the Cream Cheese Icing: Beat room temperature cream cheese and butter with vanilla extract in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat in 1-2 teaspoons of milk until the icing reaches your desired consistency.
- To Assemble: Frost your layer cake by placing one of the layers on a cake plate and frosting or piping the top. Place the second layer over top and frost the top and sides until smooth. Decorate with more chopped nuts and shavings of carrot.
- Enjoy!

When to Serve Gluten Free Carrot Cake:
You can make this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe any time of year, but I especially love it for Easter. It's also lovely in the Fall because of all the warm spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves.
To make this recipe more party-friendly, you can easily turn the gluten free carrot cake into cupcakes or a sheet pan cake. Follow all instructions as normal, except for the baking time portion.
- For a 9x13 sheet pan: Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through in the center and lightly browned. Do not overcook or you will dry out the crumb of the cake.
- For cupcakes: Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked in the center and lightly browned.
Equipment
You don't need any special equipment to make this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe, but I recommend:
- A handheld electric mixer or a stand-mixer
- Silicone spatulas
- You'll need a zester grater in order to zest the carrots, or a regular grater if you want to keep them chunky.
- You can use 9-inch round cake pans or a 9x13 pan or a cupcake tray and silicone cupcake liners.

How Can I Make this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe Dairy-Free?
This gluten free carrot cake is actually dairy-free all on its own! All you need to do to make it completely dairy-free is switch out the cream cheese for a vegan cream cheese, or try making a buttercream frosting with non-dairy ingredients.
Notes on Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe:
- Zest your carrots, *don't* grate them if you want it to be like they're not even there. Also makes for a moister cake. If you like biting into carrots, zest half of the carrots and leave the other half grated. Tip: Do not pack down the zested carrots in the measuring cup.
- I grated the whole nutmeg fresh. Whole nutmeg tends to have a more potent flavor and be more aromatic than ground nutmeg. If you don't have fresh whole nutmeg, don't feel the need to rush out to buy it. I've made this recipe with ground nutmeg and it's just as good!
- While I prefer to make a simple carrot cake, feel free to add in (or top the cake with) your favorite fixings such as raisins and coconut. Keep in mind that adding wet ingredients such as crushed pineapple will affect the final texture of the cake.

Do You Have to Refrigerate Gluten Free Carrot Cake?
Yes! Fresh cream cheese frosting should always be refrigerated. Plus, this cake tastes amazing cold. The icing gets a nice firm, crisp shell but stays smooth and creamy underneath. I could eat the icing all by itself. I always lick the beaters clean.
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Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing
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Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups high quality gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum* I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil or sub ½ cup vegetable oil + ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly zested carrots (about 2-3 medium-sized carrots) or sub ½ cup zested carrots + ½ cup grated carrots
For the Homemade Cream Cheese Icing:
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temp
- 1 stick butter room temp
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoon milk I use almond milk
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F with the rack positioned in the center. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, nonstick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper cut into circles. Alternatively, you can use a 9x13 cake pan or a cupcake tray.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and eggs together. Add in the vanilla and oil, and beat until just combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice). Whisk until evenly distributed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until just combined. Do not overmix - it's okay to have a few flour spots at this point.
- Stir in the zested carrots, and fold in the chopped nuts and/or raisins.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before setting the cake layers on a wire cooling rack.
- For the Cream Cheese Icing: Beat room temperature cream cheese and butter with vanilla extract in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat in 1-2 teaspoons of milk until the icing reaches your desired consistency.
- To Assemble: Frost your layer cake by placing one of the layers on a cake plate and frosting or piping the top. Place the second layer over top and frost the top and sides until smooth. Decorate with more chopped nuts and shavings of carrot.
- Enjoy!
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