Deliciously Moist Gluten-Free Carrot Cake (no coconut!)
Super moist gluten-free carrot cake with toasted walnuts and honey cream cheese frosting. See the adaptations for different gluten-free flours or small-batch!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 tablespoons whole milk (see substitution notes)
- ¼ teaspoon white vinegar
- 58 g chestnut flour (see substitution notes)
- 105 g gluten-free oat flour
- 121 g sweet rice flour (different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour")
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (see substitution notes)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 123 g light brown sugar (see substitution notes)
- 26 g granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter ( room temperature)
- 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil (melted just below room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons orange zest (from 1-2 oranges)
- 250 g shredded carrots (from about 3-4 medium to large carrots)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (lightly toasted (optional, but recommended), plus more for decorating)
- 16 oz full-fat cream cheese (blocked) (room temperature)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup honey
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by lightly rubbing with vegetable oil and lining with a round of parchment paper. Set aside. Alternatively, if halving the recipe, prepare a single 8-inch cake pan or line a muffin tray with 10 cupcake liners.
- 2
Combine the milk and vinegar in a small measuring cup and set aside.
- 3
In a medium bowl, whisk together the chestnut flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until smooth and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add coconut oil and beat until smooth and scraping down the sides as needed.
- 5
Add the vanilla and orange zest, mixing until smooth and scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the sides as needed.
- 6
Add the carrots and mix well to combine, scraping down the sides as needed.
- 7
Add half of the dry ingredients in two parts alternatively with the milk and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the walnuts.
- 8
Divide between the three prepared baking pans, smoothing the top.
- 9
Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs and the center springs back without leaving an indent when gently pressed.
- 10
Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack twice until upright to cool completely before frosting.
- 11
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter over medium speed.
- 12
Add the cream cheese and beat until just smooth and combined.
- 13
Add the powdered sugar, in thirds, mixing on slow speed until just combined. Take care not to overmix the frosting or it will become runny. Fold in the vanilla, honey, and salt until combined. If the cake is still cooling, chill the frosting for up to 30 minutes before frosting.
- 14
When the cake is cool, stack the layers with 1/3 cup frosting spread evenly between each layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake and use an offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth it into thin crumb coat layer and chill for 10 minutes. Spread another layer of frosting all over the cake, smoothing with an offset spatula or bench scraper. If desired, pipe a ring of decorations around the bottom and/or top edge of the cake using your favorite icing tips. Decorate with toasted walnuts. Tip: Chill for 30 minutes to make slicing the cake easier! Store any leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.