This Almond Flour Carrot Cake is a super moist and warmly spiced single layer carrot cake. It’s naturally gluten-free, easy to make and topped with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting!
I couldn’t let the Easter/Spring season pass by without a new carrot cake recipe! Last year, it was this small carrot cake recipe (single layer snack cake) and the year before it was this carrot cake loaf with cashew frosting.
This year, we’re going for a gluten-free carrot cake made with almond flour. This recipe builds on two of my popular almond flour cake recipes – this lemon almond flour cake (which is also perfect for Easter) and this almond flour chocolate cake.
Like my other almond flour recipes, this carrot cake went through many rounds of testing. I wanted to ensure it was not only easy to make but also perfectly spiced and moist (without being too soft and mushy).
Almond flour cakes can easily turn out dry and crumbly if you don’t add enough wet ingredients. But, they can also turn out soft and mushy if you add too many wet ingredients. Needless to say, striking the right balance can be tricky.
The good news? This carrot almond flour cake strikes the right balance! It has a tender crumb with just the right amount moisture. It’s also perfectly spiced and topped with the most amazing dairy-free cream cheese frosting!
Table of contents
- Why you’ll love this almond flour carrot cake recipe
- Details on the ingredients
- What’s the difference between almond flour and almond meal
- How to make gluten-free carrot cake with almond flour
- How to make dairy-free cream cheese frosting
- Measuring ingredients
- Why did my almond flour carrot cake sink in the middle?
- Storage tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Key recipe tips
- More carrot cake recipes
- More almond flour recipes
Why you’ll love this almond flour carrot cake recipe
- The cake is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- You don’t need to separate the eggs or use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar. The batter comes together easily with a whisk and a spatula.
- It’s a single layer cake, so it’s much easier to frost than a layer cake.
- The cake stays moist in the fridge for up to 5 days so feel free to make it ahead of time!
Details on the ingredients
It looks like a long list of ingredients, but I promise this cake is super easy to make! Below is just an overview of the ingredients. The recipe card below contains the full details on the quantities used.
Almond flour – You’ll need 2 1/2 cups or 260 grams of almond flour for this cake. Be sure to use fine blanched almond flour and not almond meal.
Carrots – What is a carrot cake with carrots?! Shredded carrots add sweetness to the cake and help produce a moist and tender texture. I finely shred mine by using the smaller holes on a box grater. Make sure you use freshly grated carrots and not store bought shreds as they tend to be a little dry and thicker in size.
Spices – If carrots are the most important ingredient in carrot cake, spices are the second most important. If you don’t use enough, your carrot cake will be bland and if you use too much, the spices will overpower the cake. For this recipe, I mainly used ground cinnamon with a small amount of ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Baking soda – For leavening.
Salt – I used fine sea salt, but table salt will work too.
Eggs – Three large eggs will help this flourless carrot cake rise and add moisture. Don’t forget to bring them to room temperature so they easily incorporate with the other wet ingredients.
Sugar – I used coconut sugar to sweeten this carrot cake. Brown sugar will produce a similar flavor, but it typically adds more moisture to baked goods so just keep that in mind if you decide to substitute. (I’ve only tested this cake with coconut sugar).
Oil – To keep carrot cakes moist, oil is normally used instead of butter. I used extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, but you can also use vegetable or canola oil.
Maple syrup – Not only does maple syrup help sweeten the cake but it also helps add moisture too.
Vanilla – A little vanilla extract helps enhance the flavor of the other ingredients in the cake batter.
Cream cheese – To make the dairy-free cream cheese frosting, I used Earth’s Own cream cheese style spread in this recipe (not sponsored, just preferred). It’s softer than regular cream cheese, so keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
Butter – The frosting also calls for dairy-free butter. I normally use Earth Balance vegan baking sticks (again, not sponsored, just preferred).
Powdered sugar – This helps sweeten and thicken the cream cheese frosting. You’ll want to sift it if it’s lumpy.
What’s the difference between almond flour and almond meal
Both are made from raw ground almonds. Almond flour is made with blanched almonds (with the skins removed) and is finely ground. Almond meal, on the other hand, has a coarser texture as it’s made from almonds with the skins left on. I recommend blanched almond flour for this cake as it has a finer texture. Almond meal’s coarser texture may produce a slightly crumbly cake.
How to make gluten-free carrot cake with almond flour
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs and then whisk in the coconut sugar, oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and use a spatula to stir together until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Fold in the shredded carrot.
Pour the batter out into a greased 8-inch round cake pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter out evenly. (The batter will be thick).
Bake on 350F for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
How to make dairy-free cream cheese frosting
Bring your dairy-free butter to room temperature so it can easily cream together with the cream cheese. (I keep the dairy-free cream cheese refrigerated as I use a spreadable kind that is already quite soft).
Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high until creamed together.
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth.
Spread over the cooled cake, top with crushed walnuts or pecans (optional) and enjoy!
Measuring ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Why did my almond flour carrot cake sink in the middle?
This happened to me a few times during testing, so here are a few reasons why this may happen:
- The cake is under baked. Even if it is a little under baked, the cake may sink a little in the middle. I always use the toothpick test to make sure a cake is fully baked in the middle.
- Your cake pan is too small. If there is too much batter for the pan, the cake could collapse in the middle as it bakes. This recipe calls for an 8 x 2 inch round pan and there is enough batter to fill the pan half full. I don’t recommend going any smaller than this size.
- The oven door was opened too soon. If you open the oven door to check on the cake before it is fully set this may cause it to deflate in the middle.
- You used to many add ins. While I think some raisins and/or chopped nuts would be great in this cake, adding too many may prevent the cake batter from fully rising.
- Using too many wet ingredients. This is where weighing your ingredients is important, especially with the shredded carrot. Too much carrot may create a heavy batter that doesn’t fully bake/rise in the middle.
Storage tips
The frosted cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 5 days. If your cake is unfrosted, you can leave it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze the unfrosted cake. Once the cake is cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Recipe FAQs
I’ve only tested this carrot cake recipe with almond flour. Since almond flour is high in moisture and gluten-free, a direct substitution with other flours will not work without adjustments to the recipe. If you’re looking for a non gluten-free carrot cake, this coconut carrot cake is made with whole wheat flour and it’s totally delicious!
The recipe calls for an 8 x 2 inch round baking pan, but you can also use a 9 x 2 inch round pan for a shorter cake. You’ll just need to reduce the baking time to about 30-32 minutes.
I haven’t tried making this recipe into a layered carrot cake, but you may be able to double the recipe and bake the layers in two 9-inch round baking pans for 30-32 minutes. You’ll also need to double (or even triple) the frosting.
No need! This almond flour cake benefits from all the moisture from the carrots. So, be sure to finely shred the carrots and don’t squeeze any of that moisture out.
I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, so I can’t say for certain if a vegan egg substitute would work. In my experience, eggs are an important ingredient as they help create structure and leavening for almond flour cakes.
Yes, adding some chopped walnuts or pecans and/or some raisins would be a great addition to this carrot cake. Just be careful not to add too many as it may make the batter a little heavy.
Key recipe tips
- Measuring ingredients. While I included cup measurements in the recipe for convenience, I really recommend weighing your ingredients for this cake. It will just produce more accurate results. If you’re using cups, just be sure to use the spoon and level method for your dry ingredients and don’t pack the shredded carrots into the measuring cup.
- Room temperature ingredients. I normally bring eggs to room temperature so they more easily incorporate with the other ingredients. If you forget to do this, just place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
- Grease the cake pan well. Almond flour cakes brown quickly and stick to the pan easily, so be sure to grease your cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. For good measure, I also like to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Fully cool the cake. Almond flour cakes can crumble easily if they’re not allowed to fully cool. You also don’t want your frosting to melt on a warm cake!
- Cream cheese and butter. If you don’t need this recipe to be dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter and cream cheese. If you do that, bring both to room temperature. Otherwise, I don’t recommend bringing your dairy-free cream cheese to room temperature as it is quite soft already (especially if you’re using the spreadable kind).
- Refrigerate frosted cake. The dairy-free cream cheese frosting will be softer than traditional cream cheese frosting, so I recommend refrigerating the cake for a few hours before slicing.
More carrot cake recipes
More almond flour recipes
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
- Almond Flour Blondies
- Vanilla Almond Flour Cupcakes
- Almond Flour Orange Cake
- Almond Flour Apple Cake
- Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Bread
- Almond Flour Gingerbread Cake
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Almond Flour Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Almond Flour Carrot Cake is a super moist and warmly spiced single layer carrot cake. It’s naturally gluten-free, easy to make and topped with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups (260g) blanched almond flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (or table salt)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (90g) coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (75g) finely shredded carrot
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces (113g) dairy-free cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (56g) dairy-free butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar (plus more, if necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 2 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs and then whisk in the coconut sugar, oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and use a spatula to stir together until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the shredded carrot.
- Spread the batter out into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to level out the top as the batter will be thick.
- Bake for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream together. Gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake and top with chopped walnuts or pecans (optional).
- Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make sure you’re using blanched almond flour and not almond meal.
- Cup measurements are included in the recipe for convenience but, for greater accuracy, I recommend weighing your ingredients. If you’re using cup measurements, be sure to use the spoon and level method for the flour and don’t pack your shredded carrot into the measuring cup.
- Freshly grate your carrots by using the small holes on a box grater. Avoid larger shreds or prepackaged shredded carrot which can be dry.
- I used Earth’s Own dairy-free cream cheese style spread and Earth Balance vegan baking sticks. Other brands will work too, these are just the ones I prefer.
- For the best frosting consistency, bring the butter to room temperature but keep the dairy-free cream cheese cold, especially if using a spread style as they are already soft.
- If you don’t need this cake to be dairy-free, you can use regular cream cheese and butter (both brought to room temperature).
- If you like your cream cheese frosting sweeter and thicker, feel free to add more powdered sugar.
- To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure your powdered sugar, spices and other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
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