Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Gluten-Free)
This Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting is soft, moist, and perfectly spiced, with plenty of freshly grated carrots and toasted walnuts in every bite. It's finished with smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting that complements the cake's sweetness.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup sunflower oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and ⅔ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups grated carrots (200g)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 7 ounces cream cheese (200g), softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter (80g), softened
- ½ cup and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper if desired.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Add sifted dry ingredients: gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and spices (ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg). Mix until well incorporated, but don't overmix the batter.
- Add the grated carrots and the chopped toasted walnuts, and incorporate well.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Because every oven is different, start checking the cake a few minutes before the suggested baking time.
- Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan. Allow it to cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled carrot cake, and finish with a sprinkling of chopped toasted walnuts.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the frosting for at least 20 minutes before spreading it over the cooled cake.
Notes
Carrots: they need to be grated, and I found that a large-holed grater is better. Grate them at the last minute so they don’t release much liquid. If they do release liquid when you’re about to add them, squeeze it before doing so.
Storing: Because this cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, leftovers should be stored covered in the refrigerator. You can freeze it in an air-tight container or freezer bag.