Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Coconut & Cream Cheese Frosting
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This Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Coconut & Cream Cheese Frosting is sweet, moist, and the perfect dessert to serve your guests! Sweet pineapple and coconut flakes combined with the traditional shredded carrots, walnuts, and sugar just bring this cake to a whole new level of delicious.
I cannot say enough good things about this carrot cake. It’s sweet. It’s moist. It’s indulgent. It’s everything you could ever want in a gluten free cake, and you won’t even be able to tell it’s gluten free!
I’m a firm believer that carrot cake should be celebrated all year long, instead of once a year on Easter. I make this gluten free carrot cake for all kinds of reasons. Birthdays. Holidays. Fridays (Hey, Friday is a holiday, isn’t it?) Seriously, next time the baking mood strikes, this is definitely going to be one of your go-to recipes any day of the year.
I’ve definitely been in a baking mood lately. Maybe it’s because of how well my last post did, Gluten Free Strawberry Cake. Or, maybe it’s new newfound love of deliciously sweet gluten free baked goods. Or, maybe I just love cake. Who knows? Either way, you get super-awesome gluten free cake recipes, and I get actual cake.
It’s a win-win, right?
I like to think so.
I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio today. Don’t ask me how I got here from Tampa, because I probably don’t remember. We had a few drinks, played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity. It was just one of those crazy nights, you know? I know you do!
Just kidding…
I’m actually here on a business trip for my day job. I’m learning all kinds of magical food science things. So while I’m stuffing knowledge into my head, you can rest assured that I’m also day dreaming about eating this gluten free carrot cake.
Glorious, glorious gluten free carrot cake.
I love the coconut on (and in!) this cake. I bought coconut flakes, and when they’re straight out of the bag they have a slightly sweet and chewy texture. They add a lot of extra flavor to the frosting, and a really nice texture to the cake itself.
Seriously, I probably ate about three handfuls before they actually made it onto the cake.
This may or may not have happened with the walnuts as well.
Who’s counting?
Also, let’s not forget the cream cheese frosting here. It’s probably the easiest frosting you’ll ever make in your life. You literally throw all of the ingredients into a bowl (or stand mixer), mix it together, and voila! Sweet, sweet cream cheese frosting. It really doesn’t get any easier than that.
This is just too beautiful to not take pictures of. Look at that piece! I want to eat the computer screen.
But I won’t.
Or maybe I will.
Who knows?
Another “secret” ingredient here is the pineapple. Which isn’t really a secret anymore, since I just told you about it. I’m counting on you to keep this secret now… forever. It’s what gives this cake a little extra something. A little bit more sweetness, without the added sugar. A little bit more moisture, to counter the lack of gluten. It’s pretty much what makes this cake so great.
Don’t tell the coconut I said that.
I still love you, coconut.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Coconut & Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 1/2 tsp baking soda, double acting
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the Frosting
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For decorating
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 cup walnuts, whole or chopped
Equipment
- 2 x 8" round cake pans
- mixer
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, coconut, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt).
- Continuing to mix, add shredded carrots, pineapple, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In a measuring cup mix together milk and lemon juice. Add to cake batter. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
- Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Pour batter evenly into two pans.
- Bake for 40-50 mins, or until cakes are golden brown and a fork comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
- Once cakes are cooled, place one cake on your plate. Spread a thick layer of icing on top, and add second cake on top of that.
- Use the rest of the icing to completely cover the cake.
- Decorate with coconut and walnuts.
For the Frosting
- In a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Slowly add confectioners sugar, a little at a time until all sugar is completely mixed in.
- Keep refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
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Does this cake not need eggs?
Yes, 3 eggs 🙂
this looks delicious! I absolutely love carrot cakes! and with coconut YUM that sounds perfect! 😉
Hi! I am new to your blog, but I’m glad I found you. I am wanting to make a carrot cake for Thanksgiving and was wanting a recipe that had pineapple in it. Yay! What GF flour do you use? Thanks!!
This is my favorite carrot cake, mostly because I love pineapple! I use Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose flour. I like the texture and taste of things I’ve made with it. I know some people who swear by King Arthur, too, but I haven’t done much with that one yet.
Hi Jacqui,
Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m not a big fan of the AP flour because of the bean flour. I do like their 1 to 1 flour. So, I’ll give that a go and let you know. I’ve had success with a few recipes with it so far. Thanks again!
Hello,
If I leave out the coconut and nuts in the cake recipe, would I need to make any other adjustments? Thank you!
Hi Beth, No, I think it would be fine to just leave them out. Thanks! 🙂
Is there a way to make this low-sugar? 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar is way too much. Also, could I substitute the vegetable oil for applesauce? Thanks.
Hi Heidi, The confectioners sugar is the main part of the frosting, so you’d have to change the recipe around quite a bit to get it low sugar. How would you feel about serving this with a light whipped cream, instead? I think it would still be tasty, and should cut some of the carbs out.
For the cake, applesauce should be able to sub for the oil without any problems. Let me know if the banana works in place of the sugar, too! That sounds good.
Thanks! 🙂
I use turbinado sugar instead of white & brown sugar though I’m thinking of omitting that and using mashed bananas for the cake. Also almond flour, which I typically use in baked goods.