This gluten-free, grain-free carrot cake sweetened with pineapple, raisins, and a little honey goes over well at any gathering! It's moist and satisfying.
There's no refined sugar in here, and depending on the frosting, it can even be a dairy-free carrot cake!
I love that I can serve this cake confidently to family and friends, whether they need to eat gluten free or not, and I know that it will go over fabulously! I have developed it over the years, starting with our favorite recipe that I used to use before I had to eliminate gluten.
Ingredients
- Almond Flour - or almond meal
- Tapioca Flour - also called tapioca starch
- Pineapple - canned, crushed pineapple packed in its own juice
- Coconut - unsweetened, shredded
- Xanthan Gum - just a little helps to hold the cake together
Instructions
Line two round cake pans with parchment paper.
Whisk flours and other dry ingredients together.
Whisk egg yolks and other wet ingredients together.
Stir in carrots and fruit.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form when you lift out the beater.
Carefully stir the beaten egg whites into the cake batter a little at a time.
Spread the batter into two prepared cake pans.
Bake the cake and allow the layers to cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
Slip a dull knife or other thin, flat utensil around the outside of the cake to separate it from the pan. Turn the layers out onto a wire rack and peel the parchment from the bottom of each one.
Once the cake layers have cooled completely, you may begin to frost them. Place one layer, rounded top side down, onto a plate. Spread frosting over the flat, upturned bottom.
Set the second layer over the first, right side up, so the flat sides are together in the centre.
Spread frosting over the sides of the cake, in a thin layer at first. Then add a second layer to completely cover the sides. Spread frosting over the top.
With Cream Cheese Frosting over the sides and top of the cake, it's a simple but delicious dessert to cut into!
Optionally, sprinkle a little extra flaked coconut on top of the frosted cake.
This gluten-free carrot cake can easily be made the day before serving. It keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator and may actually become a little moister by the second day.
Yes, as with most home baking, carrot cake should be kept in the refrigerator. This cake does not contain added preservatives. Cover it with an airtight covering to keep it from drying out.
Yes, this cake freezes nicely. I suggest cutting it into serving pieces first. Then, take out and thaw only what you'll be needing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
My favourite frosting for this cake is my Cream Cheese Frosting without butter or powdered sugar. It's made with cream cheese, whipped cream, and just enough honey.
For a dairy free frosting, I have used Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (dairy-free, naturally sweetened) from Erin at Texanerin.com .
Not sure whether you should have dairy or not? or gluten? Maybe another food is causing you issues. Discover improved health with the Elimination Diet Meal Plan. Read about my experience with the Meal Plan here.
Looking for More Cake Recipes?
Recipe
Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Coconut
Equipment
- two 9-inch round layer cake pans
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Wet Ingredients
- 5 eggs separated
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup honey
Fruit, etc.
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 14 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup finely shredded coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Oil two 9-inch cake pans with avocado oil and line them with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk or beat the egg yolks. Then whisk in the oil and honey. Stir this wet mixture into the dry mixture.
- Stir in the carrots, pineapple, raisins, and coconut.
- With clean beaters, beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.
- Gently stir about one-fourth of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Then very carefully fold in the remaining whites.
- Pour batter into the two prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pans for ten minutes before removing. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- For egg whites to beat stiffly, they must have no trace of yolk in them, and the bowl and beaters must be spotlessly clean. Any trace of oil can cause them to not beat properly.
- Beaten egg whites help to keep this cake from become too heavy. Incorporate them as gently as possible to maintain their light, airy quality.
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Eva says
Hi Cathy, my mother in law is allergic to almonds. Do you think I could substitute hazelnut flour in this recipe? Thanks for any insight!
Cathy says
I haven't tested this recipe with hazelnut flour, but I would think it should work. My brother-in-law is also allergic to almonds, so I have to be careful what I serve him, too.
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Deanne says
Hi Cathy Just wondered what I could substitute the almond flour for as we have nut free and gf home. Thanks in advance Deanne
Cathy says
I did make this nut free for a family member who is allergic to almonds, and it turned out well. Now I wish I had kept better notes! If I remember correctly, I replaced the 2 cups of almond flour with 1/2 cup coconut flour. I also added an extra egg, because coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture. I hope this works for you! Please let me know how it turns out.
Terri @foodmeanderings says
Cathy - this looks great for my gluten-free friends and family! I also love pineapple coconut and carrot, so I will also be enjoying it! Pinning!
Cathy says
How wonderful!
Lily {Gastro Senses} says
I love the carrot-pineapple-coconut combination Cathy! This would be perfect for Easter brunch or Mother’s Day!
Cathy says
I agree!
Elaine says
Of all the gluten-free cake recipes, I think gluten-free carrot cake seems to consistently work the best! Maybe it's all the yumminess from the additions, like pineapple, carrots, and coconut. Your version looks divine!
Cathy says
Yes, I think the carrots and pineapple make it nice and moist.
maria says
I love using vegetables in baking... carrot cake is definitively on the top of my list. I would use the Creamy Coconut Frosting... a wonderful topping for any cake. Thanks for sharing Cathy ♥
Cathy says
Isn't it great to sneak in all the veggies we can!
Meredith says
My husband's birthday almost always falls during Passover... so I am forever looking for delicious (and healthy) cake options that are gluten-free. We both love carrot cake with pineapple and coconut, so yours is sure to be an instant favorite. Also, thank you suggesting a vegan cream cheese frosting... I will definitely be trying that with this delicious cake! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Cathy says
This makes me so happy!
Tatiana says
I will absolutely cook this one for Easter! The cake looks so moist and light at the same time
Cathy says
Wonderful! I hope everyone enjoys it!
Katie Mae @ Nourishing Simplicity says
This looks so tasty! I am always excited to try new gluten-free desserts.
Cathy says
Thanks, Katie Mae! It is fun to try new recipes, isn't it!
Christina Shoemaker says
This cake is absolutely stunning! I love the sweetness of the pineapple in here! It looks so moist!! <3
Cathy says
Thank you, Christina!
Donna says
I made this cake actually as shown and it is a hit! Very moist and flavorful. Decided to not put the icing on it this time. I will definitely make this again.
Cathy says
Thank you for sharing this with me, Donna! It makes me happy to hear that people are enjoying my recipes!
Raia Todd says
What a gorgeous cake! I love that it's grain-free, too!
Cathy says
Thank you, Raia! I'm finding that I do better on a grain-free diet.
Molly Kumar says
Such a moist and delicious cake. This would be perfect for the coming Easter parties and for spring parties too.
Cathy says
That's what I'm thinking, too!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
That looks like the perfect texture for a carrot cake. I often have raisins in mine, but I love the idea of pineapple and coconut!
Cathy says
Thank you, Carrie! We certainly enjoy it!
linda spiker says
What a gorgeous cake! I would make short work of that!
Cathy says
Ha, ha! I had to put a lot of it away into the freezer!
Megan Stevens says
Wow, does that look moist and amazing!! I loved reading through your list of ingredients. Everything sounds perfect, and SO pretty too!
Cathy says
Thank you, Megan! Isn't it great to have nutritious cake!
Tessa Simpson says
I still need to convince my kids that carrot cake is where it's at!! This one looks perfect!
Cathy says
Should we give it another name?
Joni Gomes says
Looks divine! Loving those textures and the coconut..oh em gee!
Cathy says
Thank you, Joni! It is a great treat!
Jean says
This is such a gorgeous carrot cake and I love the addition of pineapples. So perfect for Easter!
Cathy says
Thanks, Jean! I'm planning to make it for Easter.
Lindsey Dietz says
My Memaw used to make a very similar cake with pineapple, raisins, and coconut called Hummingbird Cake. She always had it waiting on the table for us when we came to visit. Such a special recipe!
Cathy says
Aw...that must be such a wonderful memory!
Mary. Munson says
Found tapioca flower after all. Cake was a big hit! Everybody loved it.
Cathy says
Wonderful! I'm pleased to hear that!
Mary. Munson says
Thanks so much. Just realized that I have minute tapioca. Could I grind that in the food processor to make a flour? The ingredients say tapioca starch and soybean lecithin. Sorry to be such a bother.
mm
Cathy says
No problem! I'm happy to try to help.
Minute tapioca is processed from tapioca starch (or flour.) I don't think you would reverse the process by grinding it.
I'm sorry, I just realized a mistake in my last answer which must have been very confusing! I intended to recommend that you replace the tapioca flour with another cup of ALMOND flour. I think that would be your best option at this point.
Mary. Munson says
I was a little confused so thank you for clarifying. And thank you for answering the 2nd question. Looking forward to baking it.
mm
Mary. Munson says
Couldn't find avocado oil or tapioca flour today. Bought sunflower oil and coconut flour instead. Will this work? Thank you.
Cathy says
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulty sourcing ingredients. The sunflower oil should be fine.
However, I would not recommend replacing tapioca flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour is nice, but should only be used in recipes developed for coconut flour. It acts very differently from other flours. A better replacement for tapioca flour would be arrowroot flour. You could even try cornstarch if you have some on hand. Another option would be to replace the tapioca flour with another cup of
coconutalmond flour.I hope this helps!
Caitlin says
LOVE Elana's Pantry, and this cake has me drooling - so pretty!
Cathy says
Yes, I must credit Elana Amsterdam with showing me how easy gluten free baking can be.