Gluten Free Loaf Pan Carrot Cake
As the weather cools, it time for a gluten free carrot cake to spice things up.
By Priya Natarajan ·
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 32 min
- Total
- 1 hr 17 min
- Yield
- 12
Hubs made me this gluten free carrot cake for my birthday earlier in the year, but it’s perfect for Fall. When the weather outside is less than desirable, stay cozy inside enjoying this cake with a hot drink!
This recipe was adapted from the Loopy Wisk. So not only is this recipe gluten free, but we’ve also made it refined sugar free (we use Swerve) and lactose free. Walmart had a great lactose free cream cheese that is perfect for the icing. And instead of using a sprawling pan, we're using a loaf pan to keep it moist.
If I were making this, I’d make life easy on myself and grate the carrots in a food processor.
However, Hubs grated the carrots by hand. No wonder he was so tired and grumpy by the end!
Hubs was originally going to make this one layer but we couldn’t find our pan. So he split the batter between two loaf pans lined with parchment paper for easy removal. Funnily enough we had white and unbleached parchment but the unbleached one came off far easier.
What I love about not having the one pan is that I got to put some of the cream cheese icing in the middle; yum!
And the more walnuts, the better! Be sure to take them all along the length so the end pieces have some too!
It looks rustic, but boy is it delicious!
Making for Company
The second time we made this gluten free carrot cake recipe was to serve guests. This time, we did just one layer.
Pile all the cream cheese icing on top and it’s just as delicious.
We iced the cake while dinner was cooking but forgot to beat it thoroughly it before adding the cream. It’s best if you do that because it will be difficult to get out all the lumps, as you see below. Continuing to beat it to get it smooth with the cream will just make it too stiff.
For the single layer, we did leave it in the oven just a little longer to ensure it cooked in the middle. I like the idea of using less parchment and only having to clean one pan! If you find there’s too much icing, just serve it on the side and store any leftover. I guarantee this cake won’t last long.
For another variation on carrot cake, you can also try these carrot cake muffins.
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The recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup brown sugar swerve
- 120 g half cup +1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 g 1 2/3 cups gluten-free 1 to 1 flour blend ( Bob’s Red Mill)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 2 1/4 cups peeled and coarsely grated carrots on a flat hand grater
- 3/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup cream cheese cold from the fridge
- 3/4 cup heavy/double cream cold from the fridge
- 1/4 cup swerve icing sugar tweak the sugar if you want it sweeter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Walnuts roughly chopped for decoration (1/2 cup)
Instructions
- 1Line each baking tin with parchment paper so that it’s hanging over the edge to help lift the cake out later. Note: this can also be baked in one pan instead (see baking instructions in the note below).
- 2Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat oven to 350°F and line loaf pan(s) (5“ x 11“) with parchment paper.
- 3In a large bowl, with together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- 4In another bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Combine into wet ingredients.
- 5Add the grated carrots and walnuts, and fold them into the batter until they’re evenly distributed.
- 6Transfer the batter into the line baking tins and smooth it out.
- 7Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until well risen, golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil on side up and continue baking until done.NOTE: if baking this in one pan, after 25 minutes turn the oven down to 325°F and cover the top with foil to prevent over browning. Bake for another 10 minutes. If testing with a thermometer, ideal internal doneness temperature should be between 205°F to 212°F.
- 8Cool the cake in the baking tin(s) for about 10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to further cool completely.
- 9Using a hand mixer and a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until it’s smooth in texture and there are no lumps.
- 10Add the cream, icing, sugar, and vanilla, and whisk into soft peaks form. The frosting should keep it shape; it shouldn't be loose or runny. Be careful not to over whip as it can make it too stiff and thick.
- 11Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the first layer and stack the second layer on top (or just on top if baking only one layer). Continue frosting the top of the carrot cake all the way to the edges using a small offset spatula.
- 12Sprinkle on the extra chopped walnuts as decoration.
- 13This carrot cake keeps well in a close container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
