Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. A wondrous example of how to enjoy eating your vegetables! Read on for details on how to whip up a cake that doesn’t crumble when you look at it the wrong way.

In preparation for Easter Dinner, I wanted to bake something that everyone (gluten-free and gluten eaters) would enjoy. My father-in-law’s fav cake is carrot cake and after a huge success using buttermilk in my baking, I felt mentally prepared to go to work on a gluten-free carrot cake. Let’s keep it between you, me, and the Internet, but the secret to an amazing GF carrot cake is the combination of buttermilk, applesauce, and grated carrots.

I cannot stress this enough – this cake was the moistest gluten-free cake I have ever eaten! I sang gluten-free praise about my carrot cake. I made up a dance about my carrot cake. I ate with wild abandon not caring about calories or using a fork.

GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour or baking mix2 teaspoons cinnamon1/4 teaspoon mace1/2 teaspoon salt4 eggs3/4 cup buttermilk1/2 cup canola oil2 cups sugar6 ounces of applesauce2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 cups grated carrot1 cup shredded coconut3/4 cup chopped pecans

GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease bottom and sides of two 9 inch cake pans with shortening (I used Spectrum Organic).
  3. Sift the all-purpose flour into a bowl, add mace, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract on low speed until combined.
  5. Slowly add dry ingredients into bowl until incorporated (continue to beat on low speed).
  6. Fold in carrot, coconut, and pecans.
  7. Pour batter into greased cake pans and bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean).

CREAM CHEESE ICING RECIPE

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (softened)1/2 cup butter (softened)2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing on low speed while slowly adding the sifted confectioner’s sugar.

*Note: The Cream Cheese Icing is from Janni on allrecipes.com. I changed the amount of vanilla extract but kept all else the same (why mess with a great frosting recipe!).

Searching for Gluten-Free Easter Candy? Check out my 2019 list here.