Almond Flour Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Almond Flour Carrot Cake is a super moist, tender and warmly spiced single layer carrot cake. It's naturally gluten-free, easy to make and topped with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting! This cake is made gluten-free thanks to almond flour, which also adds incredible moisture, along with shredded carrots. No other speciality flours are required. Just some spices, eggs, oil and sweeteners consisting of maple syrup and coconut sugar.

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Tender crumb and perfectly spiced

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!

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 - Be sure to use fine blanched almond flour and not almond meal. 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.
• 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.

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

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?

Storage tips

Recipe FAQs

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 gluten-free carrot cake recipes

• Carrot Cake Donuts
• Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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📖 Recipe

Almond Flour Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Author: Leanne

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ▢ 2 ½ cups (260 g) fine blanched almond flour
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup (90 g) coconut sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup (75 g) finely shredded carrot

For the frosting:

• ▢ 4 ounces (113 g) dairy-free cream cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup (56 g) dairy-free butter, room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, (plus more, if necessary)

Instructions

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• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 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

1. Make sure you're using blanched almond flour and not almond meal.
2. 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.
3. Freshly grate your carrots by using the small holes on a box grater. Avoid larger shreds or prepackaged shredded carrot which can be dry.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. If you don't need this cake to be dairy-free, you can use regular cream cheese and butter (both brought to room temperature).
7. If you like your cream cheese frosting sweeter and thicker, feel free to add more powdered sugar.
8. To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure your powdered sugar, spices and other ingredients are certified gluten-free.

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Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1335IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer

Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.

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