Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

Name: Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup zested carrots ((From about 1.5 large carrots) (3.92 ounces)); 3/4 cup milk; 2 teaspoons white vinegar; 1 3/4 cup multipurpose gluten free flour ((I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water; 1/4 cup applesauce; 1/2 cup light brown sugar (, packed); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or vegan baking stick, room temperature); 4 ounces cream cheese (, room temperature); 2.5 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 pinch kosher salt

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This Easy Carrot Cake Recipe is perfect for when you want a carrot cake but do not want to spend all day shredding carrots! It's moist, soft with a little spice and has a lovely sweetness from the cream cheese frosting! This recipe is so easy, no mixer is needed for the batter and it takes less than an hour to bake in the oven! It's the perfect simple carrot cake recipe for Easter, springtime and birthdays! As always, our carrot cake recipe is gluten free, nut free, eggless and can easily be made vegan!

slice of moist, easy carrot cake with its vibrant orange crumb and sweet cream cheese frosting.

This Easy Carrot Cake Recipe is the perfect simple one layer cake that can be made the day you need it! Yes there are quite a few ingredients, but don't worry, the batter only uses a whisk and a spatula and only takes 45 minutes to bake! Make the frosting as the cake bakes to save time! Most carrot cake recipe do have nuts but since we are a nut free household this is the perfect allergy friendly recipe that everyone will love!

For more Easter dessert recipes, try my Gluten Free Lemon Cake, my Lemon Raspberry Cookies, my Lemon Blueberry Loaf cake and my Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

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Reasons to Love This Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Expert Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Single Layer Cakes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

Reasons to Love This Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

Allergy Friendly- This cake is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
Soft & Fluffy- The cake is so super soft, moist and delicious.
Carrots and Applesauce- This carrot cake uses applesauce with the shredded carrots to ensure the cake stays moist!
Simple 1-Layer Cake- You only need a whisk and a spatula to make the cake batter!

Ingredient Notes

easy carrot cake ingredients in sepate containers: cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, multipurpose gluten free flour, white vinegar, vegetable oil, baking powder, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, pure vanilla extract, applesauce, cornstarch water, kosher salt, cinnamon and carrots.

Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
Granulated Sugar- This gets mixed with the dry ingredients to help keep the cake light and sweet.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda- We need both to help make the cake rise.
Kosher Salt- Brings out all the flavors.
Carrots- For this recipe we need 1.5 large carrots shredded with a zester (½ cup zested). Shredding the carrots with a zester helps them keep their moisture and helps to not dry out the cake.
Applesauce- Carrots tend to dry out cakes but the addition of applesauce helps to add moisture back into the cake and also adds some sweetness.
Cornstarch and Water- This mixture binds everything together, since the recipe is egg free.
Cinnamon- Wouldn't be carrot cake without a little spice!
Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cake can have a chemical flavor.
Light Brown Sugar- Mixed with the wet ingredients, this adds moisture into the cake.
Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a non-dairy milk of your choosing.
White Vinegar- It gets mixed with the milk to create a buttermilk to help keep the crumb light.
Vegetable Oil- The cake uses oil instead of butter to help it stay moist.
Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- For the frosting, only use room temperature. Even softened will make the frosting super runny and it won’t be fixed by putting it in the fridge. If using vegan butter, make sure it's on the cold side versus room temperature.
Cream Cheese- Wouldn't be a cream cheese frosting without this key ingredient. Please only use full fat block cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub and if vegan only use block and have it be on the colder side vs room temperature.
Confectioners' Sugar- Essential in frosting recipes, this gives the frosting its fluffy texture and sweetness!

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

How to Make this into a Vegan Carrot Cake

Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
Make sure the brands of sugars you use are vegan.
Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter in the frosting.
Buy a vegan cream cheese block or use my vegan vanilla frosting instead.

Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour

Use 1 ¾ packed cups of regular flour (294 grams).
Only use ½ cup of milk.
Use 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

For Alternate Carrot Cake Frosting

Use my recipe for my Vegan Vanilla Frosting! Divide the recipe in half; you'll still have some frosting left over.
Or you can use my Brown Sugar Frosting. Also divide this recipe in half.

How to Make a Crumb Topping

Once the cake is completely cool, cut a super thin layer off the top of the cake and crumble.
Immediately after frosting the cake, sprinkle the crumbs onto wet frosting so they stick.

This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!

whole, gluten-free, easy carrot cake topped with velvety cream cheese frosting and golden cake crumbs.

How to Make Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Here are the step by step instructions for how to make this simple carrot cake recipe!

Step 1: Zest the Carrots

Wash and peel off the outer skin of 2 large carrots. Zest 1.5 carrots.

You should have ½ cup packed carrot zest. If not, zest the last half of carrot.

homemade buttermilk in a measuring cup with a spoon.

Step 2: Make The Homemade Buttermilk

Measure out the milk and stir in the white vinegar. Let it sit for 5-10 min then stir again. The milk will appear chunky; that’s normal.

Step 3: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.

Step 4: Make the Cornstarch Water

In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.

Step 5: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the zested carrots, applesauce, light brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cornstarch water, homemade buttermilk and vegetable oil until fully emulsified and combined.

Step 6: Make a Well and Add the Wet Ingredients

Into the dry ingredients, make a well for the wet ingredients to be poured into.

Slowly pour in the wet ingredients and whisk everything together. Switch to using a spatula when the batter gets too thick and mix until just combined.

It will be very thick.

filling a cake tin with the easy carrot cake batter.

Step 7: Scoop the Batter and Smooth

Scoop the batter in a 9 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife.

If you don't smooth the top, it will be very lumpy when it bakes.

a warm, golden-brown east carrot cake base on a baking rack.

Step 8: Bake and Cool

Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes until the cake springs back at you when careful touched.

Remove from oven and carefully cover with foil for 10 min. This will soften the top and sides.

After 10 minutes, remove foil, carefully remove cake from pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

smooth and sweet cream cheese frosting in a bowl with a spatula.

Step 9: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth; about 2 minutes.

Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, pure vanilla extract and kosher salt; beat until combined and smooth.

frosting the cake with cream cheese frosting and topping in a moon shape with cake crumbs

Step 10: Frost the Cake

Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the sides and top of the cake.

To make pretty swirls or designs, use the icing spatula, the back of a spoon or a butter knife.

Expert Baking Tips

For the Carrot Cake

Zest the Carrots- Do not use a shredder because it will leave the carrot pieces too large and not retain enough moisture. Zest the carrots so more moisture is added into the cake.
Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. Or read the gram measurement.
Smooth the Batter- When the batter is in the cake pan, gently smooth the top with a butter knife prior to baking.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese- You could technically put all the ingredients in the bowl together and beat them at the same time. However, this can leave chunks of butter and cream cheese throughout the frosting. Your best bet is to beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese first until it is smooth for about two minutes. Then beat in all the other ingredients.
Use Room Temperature Butter and Cream Cheese- Do not use softened ingredients. If using vegan ingredients, make sure they're more cold than room temperature. Vegan baking sticks are different than butter in the sense that if they are too soft in your frosting, they will create a liquid mess and your frosting will be sliding all over your cakes and cupcakes. At that point, even putting the frosting in the fridge would not help. If you are using butter, popping the frosting in the fridge will sometimes help resolidify and make the frosting thicker and firmer but not always.
Only Use Block Cream Cheese- Do not use spreadable cream cheese. It is way too soft and your frosting will be a runny mess. Even putting it in the fridge will not fix it. If using vegan cream cheese, use it on the cooler side rather than actual room temperature.
Making The Frosting- If the frosting is too liquidy, here is how to thicken cream cheese frosting; add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If the cream cheese buttercream appears too thick, add a little water ¼ teaspoon at a time. Make sure your butter and cream cheese aren't too soft. They should be room temperature, not softened.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this carrot cake the day before?

I do not recommend making it ahead of time. This cake is super soft and best the first day.

Can I make the cream cheese frosting beforehand?

Yes. You may make this frosting the night before. Store it in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge.

When ready to frost the cake, let the frosting come to room temperature and rewhip to regain a creamy consistency.

Must I use a 9 inch cake pan?

Yes. This carrot cake recipe is for a 9 inch cake pan and has not been tested with any other size.

How do I store this Easy Carrot Cake Recipe?

Storing: Once the cake is cut into, cut the entire cake into slices and wrap each slice in foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the cream cheese frosting as much.

Pop the slices in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 30 days.

To defrost, take out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours.

Note: Freeze the slices even if you're eating them the next day. Freezing helps to keep the cake soft as carrot cake can dry out quickly in the fridge. The slices cannot be left at room temperature due to the cream cheese frosting.