Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake

This vegan and gluten-free carrot cake is made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free flour for a perfectly moist and decadent holiday dessert.

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I’ve got a special treat today, brought to you by one of my favorite Oregon-based companies, Bob’s Red Mill.

Holiday baking can be difficult.

As a 10-year vegan, I am aware that my presence brings about complications at most holiday tables. Fortunately, I have supportive family and friends who accommodate me as best as they can and I always try to provide several options to help out, but that doesn’t mean complications don’t arise.

A few years after I transitioned to a vegan diet, as my family’s holidays were just adjusting, another family member went gluten-free.

What’s a family gonna do? Make everyone bring their own food? Make every dish vegan and gluten-free? Make 3 variations of everything?

It’s not easy, I tell you!

But, thanks to Bob’s Red Mill, holiday baking just got a little easier.

BEST GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR FOR CARROT CAKE

I’m sure many of you already know about Bob’s Red Mill – you can find there amazing flours, grains, cereals, and mixes everywhere. What you may not know is that just on the outskirts of Portland (just 20 minutes from my house!) is a literal red mill where Bob began his businesses over 40 years ago.

This red mill is an amazing 320,000 square foot facility in which all the magic happens from milling, testing, packages, and distributing. But it so much more than just a flour factory. In the heart of it all is a grocery store where you can do some major bulk-binging, stop and eat a good meal, take a guided tour of the facility, and there’s even the chance you’ll run into Bob himself.

Somehow you can walk into this massive flour mill and feel right at home.

Among their products is this Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour – a blend of rice flours, tapioca flour, and potato starch that works as a 1-to-1 ratio to replace all-purpose flour in any recipe. No specialty recipes needed!

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CARROT CAKE

Most cakes, this one included, are very straightforward and easy to make. It’s a matter of mixing the dry ingredients, wet ingredients and combining it all together.

STEP ONE – MIX TOGETHER THE DRY INGREDIENTS.

That’s the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Whisk it together until everything is uniformly combined.

STEP TWO – SHRED THE CARROTS

I highly recommend using a food processor with a shredding attachment. A food processor can shred the carrots in under a minute and you don’t have to worry about shaving off the tips of your fingers! But if you do not have a food processor, a handheld shredder will do.

STEP THREE – COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, sugars, applesauce, vanilla extract. Once well combined, add the shredded carrots.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold them together with a rubber spatula until the batter is evenly hydrated. Take care not to overmix or that batter will become tough and gummy. Once you have a uniform batter, fold in the coconut and walnuts.

STEP THREE – BAKE THE CARROT CAKE

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake and bake for about 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the cake pan for at least 30 minutes before flipping out and frosting.

CARROT CAKE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DO I MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO MUFFINS?

If you are making this cake into carrot cake muffins, it will make about 2 dozen. Bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. Once the muffins are done, let it cool 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it out to cool completely.

CAN YOU OMIT THE COCONUT OR WALNUTS?

Definitely. If you don’t like the flavor, feel free to omit either or both.

CAN I MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITHOUT OIL?

If you are looking for an oil-free vegan cake, swap out additional applesauce for the oil with a 1:1 ratio.

WHERE CAN I FIND 1:1 GF FLOUR BLEND

Most well-stocked grocery stores carry Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 GF Flour blend but if you can’t find it, you can buy it online here.

Serving and Storing Vegan Carrot Cake

Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store this cake in the freezer for up to two months.

MORE VEGAN CAKE RECIPES

Now that it’s going to be baking madness for the next couple of months, let’s take a look at some of my other favorite vegan cake recipes:

• Classic Lemon Pound Cake
• Chocolate Espresso Cake
• Gingerbread Bundt Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake

But before you go check those out, let’s take a look at this gluten-free carrot cake below!

Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake

This vegan and gluten free carrot cake is made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free flour for a perfectly moist and decadent holiday dessert.

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

4.5 from 2 votes

Print

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 486 kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup walnuts chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup 1 stick vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar sifted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. To make the Carrot Cake, preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of an 8" or 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with bottom and sides with oil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together gluten-free baking flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl combine apple sauce, oil, white and brown sugars, and vanilla extract. Stir together. Mix in grated carrots and coconut.
4. In 2 to 3 batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet, gently mixing to combine. Once an evenly-hydrated batter has formed, fold in the walnuts.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake and bake for about 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely until removing from the pan and slicing. Place it in the refrigerator and chill for easier handling.
7. Once the cake is completely cool, remove from pan by flipping upside down and cut the cake it through the middle into two or three layers.

8. To make the Cream Cheese Frosting, in a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together vegan cream cheese and vegan butter until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.

9. Add vanilla extract and combine.

10. With the mixer on its lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides between cups. Once all the powdered sugar is added, turn up the speed to medium and mix until smooth and creamy.

11. To assemble the cake, place about 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese frosting on the bottom layer of cake, smooth oven evenly with an offset spatula and top with a second layer of cake. Repeat with a third layer if necessary.
12. Sprinkle the top layer with toasted almonds or coconut and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

For 8" cakes, cut into 3 layers. For 9" cakes, cut into 2 layers.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 486 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 347mg15%

Potassium 210mg6%

Carbohydrates 84g28%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 69g77%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 4285IU86%

Vitamin C 1.7mg2%

Calcium 71mg7%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.