This gluten-free dairy-free carrot cake is super moist and flavorful, with vegan cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecans on top. It is the easiest (and the best) one bowl carrot cake recipe that you could ever ask for!
This is the carrot cake recipe that I go back to again and again. It is easy to make in one bowl and thanks to the vegan buttermilk, the crumb is amazingly moist and tender. And of course, it is packed full of cinnamon flavor which is a must-have for a carrot cake!
Below version is baked in an 8 x 8" pan yielding 9 generous portions. However, the recipe can easily be doubled to a 9 x 13" size to cater to a larger crowd!
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Why is this recipe great?
- It can be made with basic pantry items - no yogurt, sour cream, apple sauce etc…!
- It has a moist tender texture
- It is full of cinnamon flavor
- It is extremely easy to make in one bowl
- It does not harden even after when refrigerated
- It can easily be adjusted to a larger version (9 x 13") by doubling the recipe.
Secret to the moist crumb
Key is the golden ratio of almond flour and gluten-free flour mixed together. While it sounds awesome to use just one type of flour and deal with less ingredients, this makes a huge difference.
When using gluten-free flour on its own, have you ever experienced a gritty texture? It’s the result of the flour mix that is often high in rice flour which takes longer to absorb water. To combat this, it is recommended to either let the batter sit for a while or blend in a different type of flour.
Since I am definitely not patient enough to let the batter sit, I usually opt for mixing in some almond flour. It enhances the flavor and texture significantly, and the high fat content helps to retain the moisture in the baked goods.
Adding vegan buttermilk
In addition to combining two types of flour, adding homemade vegan buttermilk is another trick to improve the texture.
This buttermilk is simply made by mixing soy milk and lemon juice (acid) together. After a few minutes, the mixture starts to curdle slightly and that's when it is ready to go into the batter. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, and works perfect as a non-dairy buttermilk option to create a tender, flavorful cake.
Ingredients for this recipe
For the carrot cake
- Eggs
- Organic cane sugar
- Avocado oil - or any neutral tasting oil such as canola
- Unsweetened soy milk - or oat milk
- Lemon juice - bottled or fresh
- Almond flour
- Gluten-free all purpose flour - make sure to choose one with xanthan gum which provides a binding effect to replace gluten. I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Coarsely grated carrots - not finely grated!
For the frosting and topping
- Non-dairy cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice - bottled or fresh
- Crushed pecans
Making gluten-free dairy-free carrot cake
1. Make the vegan buttermilk - Combine the soy milk and lemon juice together. Mix well Let sit for a few minutes until the mixture curdles slightly.
2. Mix the wet ingredients - Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and vegan buttermilk in a bowl.
3. Add in the dry ingredients - Stir in the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add carrots - Stir until just combined.
5. Bake - Bake for 30 minutes in an 8-inch square pan.
6. Frost - Whip up the dairy-free cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spread over the cake and top with pecans!
*See below recipe card for detailed directions.
Tips
Measure the ingredients by weight - as much as possible. Since this is a small batch recipe, a small difference in the measuring could make a big difference.
Coarsely grate the carrots. Finely grated carrots release too much moisture into the batter resulting in a wet cake. I use a box grater to grate them.
Storing direction
Store this carrot cake at room temperature for up to a day. After that, make sure to refrigerate in an airtight container.
Carrot cake without frosting can be stored in the freezer in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
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Recipe
Gluten-free Dairy-free Carrot Cake (Easy and Moist)
Equipment
- 8 x 8" square pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup organic cane sugar or light brown sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral tasting oil
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrots about 2 medium carrots
For Frosting topping:
- 4 ounces non-dairy cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup crushed pecans
Instructions
- In a small cup, combine the soy milk and lemon juice to make vegan buttermilk. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes until the mixture curdles slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 177°C. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, and avocado oil together. Then mix in the buttermilk (from step 1) as well.
- Add in the almond flour, gluten free flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. mix well.
- Stir in the grated carrots.
- Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, place the softened cream cheese in a bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until smooth (10 seconds or so). Add in the powdered sugar and lemon juice, beat again until smooth. If you would like a thicker consistency, add more powdered sugar.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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