Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake
Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake is packed with coconut, raisins, pecans, and spices. Made with almond flour and coconut oil, this a great grain free, gluten free, and dairy free option. Topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting that can easily be made dairy-free, this is the best moist carrot cake you’ll ever eat!
Carrot Cake, But Make it Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free
Carrot cake is one of those desserts you either love or hate. And in my family, we love it. All those warm spices, and crunchy pecans, and juicy raisins… and let’s not forget about the cream cheese frosting. Which we all know is my FAVORITE kind of frosting. It’s tangy, it’s sweet, it’s creamy, what’s not to love?
For this carrot cake, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to make a cake that was both gluten free, grain free, and could easily be made dairy free. Keeping it moist, fluffy, and delicious would be the challenge. But I’m always up for a challenge.
What Baking Without Gluten Means
To bake with any type of gluten free flour, you first have to understand the role gluten plays in baking. Gluten is a protein found in wheat; when moistened and either kneaded or mixed produces longer protein chains. These long protein chains are why you can stretch a piece of bread dough without breaking or tearing. Once combined with leavening agents (like yeast, baking soda, baking powder, vinegar, etc.), gluten works with gases produced within the dough or batter to help said mixture rise.
Gluten allows baked goods to keep their shape both before and after coming out of the oven. So if you don’t have any gluten in your batter, you have to find another way to stabilize it. One to one gluten free flours are great for this as they have stabilizers already added to the flour blend (like xanthan gum or psyllium husk). But what if you want to use something like almond flour, which is essentially ground almonds with no stabilizers whatsoever?
The answer, my friend, is eggs. Eggs are full of protein that, when whipped, create excellent stabilizers for cakes and muffins. Eggs provide the structure needed to build a sturdy cake that still yields a soft and tender crumb.
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The Essential Gluten Free Grocery Guide
Just because you’re gluten free doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods! Grab my free guide that has dozens of delicious gluten free brands and products that are ALL available at major groceries or online for at-home delivery (even better!).
How to Make Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake
For this soft & fluffy almond flour carrot cake, we’re basically making a spiced sponge cake with lots of mix-ins. The key is to prevent almond flour, coconut oil, and mix-ins from weighing down the batter and creating a dense cake.
The first time I tried making this cake, I whipped just the eggs and brown sugar until they were light, fluffy, and almost tripled in volume. But the second I added the almond flour (which is a lot heavier than all-purpose or one to one gluten free flour), the eggs deflated by about half. Then I added the coconut oil, spices, and mix-ins, and my batter completely deflated. The result was a great-tasting cake, but it was about as thick as a pancake.
I’ve found the best way to keep as much volume in the eggs as possible is to whip the eggs, sugar, and almond flour together until almost doubled in volume. The batter should fall back on itself in a ribbon when the paddle attachment is lifted. Mix the spices and baking soda in a small bowl and add to the batter one tablespoon at a time. Next, slowly stream in the melted and cooled coconut oil and vanilla down the side of the bowl. This helps the oil incorporate slowly and keeps the batter light.
Finally, pour the batter into a bowl with all the mix-ins: carrots, raisins, shredded coconut, and toasted pecans. Fold the batter into the mix-ins and the results will be a soft, tender, moist cake. Delicious!!
Tips For Making Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake
It may seem like a lot of steps, but I assure you this cake is easy to make. If you can melt coconut oil and watch eggs whip up in a stand mixer, then you can make this cake. Just be sure to take note of the following:
- After grating the carrots (either on a box grater or in a food processor with a grating blade attachment), be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid. I dump the carrots onto two paper towels and give them a good squeeze. A kitchen towel would also work, but it may get permanently stained orange.
- I find it easier to measure the coconut oil in a dry measuring cup and then dump it into a liquid measuring cup to melt in the microwave. This makes it easier to stream in the oil.
- Make sure your coconut oil is cooled to at least room temperature before adding to the egg mixture. The last thing you want is scrambled eggs with brown sugar and almond flour.
- It may be tempting to pour the oil directly into the eggs instead of down the side of the bowl, but this will deflate the batter that you worked so hard to get fluffy!
- Again, you may be tempted to toss the mix-ins into the batter to save a bowl for cleanup, but you will end up with cake about as thin as a pancake. Be sure to take the extra step (and bowl) and fold the batter into the mix-ins in a separate bowl.
- The cakes still will not rise as much as you’re used to, so don’t be alarmed. The cake will be about 2/3 up the pan when finished baking.
- If you don’t have cardamom, add 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the batter instead of 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cardamom. Add the same amount of ginger and allspice the recipe calls for.
- Test the cake for doneness in a few separate spots in the middle. It’s easy to stick a toothpick in and hit a raisin or a bit of carrot and think the cake needs more time in the oven. The cake will be lightly brown on top, pulling away from the sides of the pan, spring back when lightly touched, and a toothpick should come out clean when done.
- To make the frosting dairy free like the cake, substitute dairy free cream cheese such as Kite Hill and Earth Balance vegan butter.
Let’s Eat!
Soft, fluffy, moist, and packed with carrots, coconut, raisins, pecans, and spices, this is hands down the best gluten free, grain free carrot cake you’ll ever eat.
If you make my Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or rate the recipe! I love hearing from you, and feedback is always welcome. And be sure to tag me on social if you make it. Seeing photos of recipes you’ve made is my favorite!
Cheers to you, friend!
Soft & Fluffy Almond Flour Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large carrots peeled and grated
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup rough chopped pecans toasted
- ½ cup raisins
Frosting
- 1 pound cream cheese (2 8-ounce packages) room temperature
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375°. Line the bottom of two 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saute pan, toast pecans over low heat until lightly browned and you begin to smell the pecans, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Using a box grater or food processor with a grating blade attachment, grate carrots into a large bowl. Place carrots onto paper towels and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Add carrots back to bowl, along with shredded coconut, raisins, and toasted pecans.
- In another large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs, brown sugar, and almond flour. Mix on low to combine, then increase the speed to high and whip the egg mixture until lighter in color and doubled in volume, about 5-7 minutes. The batter should fall back on itself in a ribbon when the paddle attachment is lifted.
- While the batter is mixing, combine salt, baking soda, and spices in a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the spice mixture one tablespoon at a time. Next, stream in the cooled coconut oil and vanilla down the side of the bowl. I like to add the vanilla to the same liquid measuring cup as the coconut oil so I can add them both at the same time.
- Pour the batter into the large bowl with the carrots, raisins, pecans, and coconut. Fold the batter into the mix-ins until just combined.
- Pour finished batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cakes are lightly golden brown, spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack. Remove parchment paper from cakes and then place on another rack, top-side up, to cool completely. I like to place the other cooling rack on the bottom the cakes and then flip it together. That way I don’t break or crack the cakes while they’re still hot and fragile.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add softened cream cheese and butter to a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat butter and cream cheese on low to combine. Slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
Assembly
- On a cake stand or large plate, place one of the cakes bottom-side up. Add about 1 cup of cream cheese frosting and spread evenly on the top (which is really the bottom) of the cake.
- Place the other cake on top, top-side up. Add remaining cream cheese frosting to top and sides of cake, spreading evenly. Decorate with chopped pecans or as desired. Cake can be made 3 days ahead of time. Allow cream cheese frosting to set at room temperature, then cover and chill to store.
Notes
- If you don’t have cardamom, add 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the batter instead of 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cardamom. Add the same amount of ginger and allspice the recipe calls for.
- To make the frosting dairy free like the cake, substitute dairy free cream cheese such as Kite Hill and Earth Balance vegan butter.
Free PDf download
The Essential Gluten Free Grocery Guide
Just because you’re gluten free doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods! Grab my free guide that has dozens of delicious gluten free brands and products that are ALL available at major groceries or online for at-home delivery (even better!).
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