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–+ servings

Gluten-free Carrot Bundt Cake

Extra close 45 degree angled shot of a gluten-free carrot bundt cake, on pink plate with decorative carrot.
Classic carrot cake, with all your favourite spices, but adjusted to bake in a bundt tin and, using gluten-free flour! Let me show you how.
Caro @ Caroline's Easy Baking Lessons
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling/Setting 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Serving Size 14 slices

Equipment

  • Digital scales or measuring cups
  • Small measuring jug
  • Mixing spoon
  • Stand or Hand mixer and mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Grater/shredder and bowl for carrots
  • Zester
  • Bundt Tin (Heritage/Swirl pan,10-cup capacity*)
  • Lining paste for greasing tins (Cake Goop, cake release spray or butter & flour*)
  • Wooden Cocktail stick
  • Cooling rack
  • Bowl for making frosting
  • Baking/parchment paper
  • Small spoon
  • * Denotes see notes

Ingredients

For The Cake Batter

  • 180 ml Sunflower/Vegetable oil  (approx. 6 fl oz, ¾ cup, or other neutral oil)
  • 3 Eggs (medium to large, large to extra large US)
  • 169 grams Light Brown sugar (6 oz, 1 rounded, packed ¾ cup)
  • 225 grams Gluten-free Self-raising flour (8 oz, 1¾ cups OR Plain/All Purpose flour + 2¾ tsp baking powder)*
  • 1½ tsp Baking powder (In addition to above is using Plain/A.P.)
  • ¾ tsp Mixed Spice (Pumpkin Spice)
  • ¾ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ Nutmeg, freshly grated (or 1 tsp ground nutmeg)
  • ¼ tsp Ground Anise (optional)
  • 150 grams Carrots (5¼ oz, 1½ cups, grated/shredded weight)

For Lining The Bundt:

  • 3 tbsp Lining Paste (Cake Goop)
  • ½ tsp Cocoa Powder

For The Cream Cheese Frosting*

  • 132 grams Cream Cheese (4⅔ oz, roundered ½ cup full fat, softened at room temp.)
  • 76 grams Unsalted Butter (2⅔ oz, ⅓ cup, cubed & soft)
  • 2 tsp Orange Extract
  • Zest Of 1 Orange (& lemon)
  • 250 grams Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar, (8¾ oz, 2 cups*), sieved)

For Decoration

* Denotes see notes

Instructions

Prepare The Cake

  • Switch the oven on to 180°c/160°c Fan/350°f/Gas Mark 4. *For new or powerful air fryers, use 160°c temperature.
  • Add 169 grams Light Brown sugar, 180 ml Sunflower/Vegetable oil , & 3 Eggs to a large mixing bowl & beat by hand until combined.
  • Then sieve over the 225 grams Gluten-free Self-raising flour, 1½ tsp Baking powder (2 amounts of baking powder if using Plain/A.P. flour). Add ½ tsp Xanthan Gum (if using - see notes). Then add ¾ tsp Mixed Spice, (Pumpkin Spice), ¾ tsp Ground Ginger, ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon, ½ Nutmeg, freshly grated & ¼ tsp Ground Anise (optional).
  • Gently mix the ingredients until no flour is visible, being careful not to over-mix. Then add the 150 grams Carrots (grated/shredded) & mix in by hand. Leave to the side & let the gluten-free flour have time to absorb the wet ingredients.

Prepare The Cake Pan:

  • I always use homemade lining paste/cake goop for bundt tins. Learn how to make your own lining paste. Alternatively you can use cake release spray, or butter & flour.
  • For the carrot cake or chocolate cake, I make the lining paste beige by using some cocoa powder. Decant 3 tbsp Lining Paste (Cake Goop) and add ½ tsp Cocoa Powder, before mixing well to combine.
  • Use a pastry brush or artist brush to apply the paste (DO NOT USE A SILICONE BRUSH). Apply generously and for the side, in upward strokes. Then apply a second layer. **See process photos for more on this.

Baking The Cake:

  • Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, & spread out to level it off. Give a few taps on the counter/worktop & popping into the centre of the pre-heated oven or air fryer to bake.
  • Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until risen & golden brown. Check the cake is done by inserting a wooden cocktail stick near the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean it is ready It will be springy to touch & be starting to come away from the sides of the pan. If it isn’t done yet, continue baking for another 2 minutes and check  again.
  • Leave to cool same way up, on top of a cooling rack. Leave for 30 minutes. Do not try to turn out before that time. Meanwhile you can prepare the cream cheese frosting (or ahead of time).

Prepare The Frosting

  • Make sure the 76 grams Unsalted Butter is softened and cubed small, before adding to a stand-mixer or mixing bowl & beating till spreadable. Then add in the room temperature 132 grams Cream Cheese & beat till combined & smooth.
  • Add in about ⅓- ½ of the 250 grams Icing Sugar (powdered sugar), to the mixture & cover with a tea-towel before beating on low to combine. Then gradually add in the rest of the sugar, until you have a very thick frosting. Very thick with a very slow drip. (See more on this in process collage 9 of the step-by-step instruction above).
  • Add 2 tsp Orange Extract (to taste), before adding most of the Zest Of 1 Orange (and lemon if you want - but hold some back for the decoration). Then mix gently. Cover with some cling film/plastic wrap and place in the fridge till ready to use.

Turn Out The Cake

  • After 30 minutes of cooling you can turn out the cake. Simply run a plastic or silicone spatula around the edges if any bits of cake seem to be sticking to the tin.
  • Place a large plate or cake stand on top of the cake & hold everything together. Then flip everything over & place back down on the cooling rack. Give a little tap and lift off the bundt tin. It should come off easy with lining paste. Leave to cool for at least 30 more minutes before decorating.

Decorating The Cake:

  • If you are going to use a different plate to serve or want to cover with a lot of frosting), cut a piece of baking/parchment paper about width of your serving plate or cake stand. Then cut into 4 squares. Hold them in place on top of the plate with a little frosting. Then place the cooled bundt cake on top. These can easily be removed from under the cake after decorating and save mess.
  • Pipe or spoon the cream cheese frosting onto the cake. I used a small spoon and covered the top of the cake first. Then moved onto letting the frosting slowly drip down the ridges of the side of the cake. I really don't think drips pooling at the bottom looks nice. Build up the frosting gradually and encourage it into the areas you want. See the images and also the old images with different styles of frosting.
  • Once happy, add on the remaining orange and lemon zest. Add some nuts, mini eggs, whatever you like. Then place in the fridge or somewhere cool for at least 15 minutes to let the frosting set up a bit.

Serving & Storing:

  • The cake can be cut into 10-14 slices. Serve with a hot beverage and with some more frosting on the side for those with a sweet tooth.
  • Store the cake under a cake dome or in an air-tight container, at room temperature or somewhere cool (but not the fridge as it can cause condensation). It will be fine for about 5 days.
  • Unfrosted carrot cake will be fine wrapped in cling film/plastic wrap for up to 3 days before decorating.

Video

Notes

**Video of making the carrot layer cake. 
Flour -  I developed this recipe using gluten-free UK Self-raising flour & also Plain (All Purpose) Flour. Make sure to add the 2 amounts of baking powder if using Plain/A.P. flour.  Dr Oetker brand of baking powder happens to be gluten-free.
Gluten-free - I have used M&S Made Without Wheat Gluten-free Self-raising Flour, as well as Doves Farm's Freee Gluten-free Plain Flour to test the recipe.  Both have Xanthan Gum in them already, so I did not add any.  However, if your gluten-free flour does not have it or you want a firmer cake, add 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum.  **I am an affiliate for M&S so if you buy via my unique link above, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Extra close 45 degree angled shot of a gluten-free carrot bundt cake, on pink plate with decorative carrot.
Oil - Use Sunflower, Vegetable or any other neutral oil.
Size Of Bundt Tin - I used a full-sized, 10 cup equivalent to Nordic Ware's ‘Heritage Bundt'.  See more in the equipment section above including measurements & how to use a smaller bundt tin for a small air fryer.
45 degree shot of pastel coloured table napkins and crockery, surrounding a plate with a carrot bundt cake slice served.
Size Of Bundt Tin - I used a full-sized, 10 cup equivalent to Nordic Ware's ‘Heritage Bundt'.  See more in the equipment section above including measurements & how to use a smaller bundt tin for a small air fryer.
Recipe Yield - 10-14 slices depending on how you cut the cake.
45 degree shot looking down on a pastel coloured, Spring looking table with napkin, crockery and eggs/carrot decorations, surrounding a gluten-free carrot bundt cake.
Lining Paste (Cake Goop) - homemade lining paste is less expensive than cake release, & THE BEST for bundt.  Make your own Lining Paste (Cake Goop) At Home.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting -  there is enough frosting for decorating the cake as in the newer images, with the excess being used to serve alongside the cake slices.  Or, you can cover the top of the cake more, like in the older images (at the foot of the page).
 
Make Ahead - the cake can be made up to 3 days before decorating.  After cooling cover well in cling film/plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
Shot of fondant carrots without greens and titled fondant carrots.Fondant Carrots - see my tutorial for making  fondant carrots without a mold that includes a step-by-step photo tutorial.
Other Carrot Cake Recipes - including layer cake, mini bundts & slices (traybake), can be found on my Carrot Cake Page.  You can see readers' photos of the other carrot cake recipes there too.
Overhead shot of a cream cheese frosted carrot layer cake, with mini eggs on top and pastel coloured Easter decorations surrounding it.
Nutritional Information -  I am not a qualified nutritionist & all values are approximate and from website MyFitnessPal.com.  One serving is based on a full bundt cake with all of the frosting used and with a yield of 14 slices.   Big or smaller slices and values will change. Find the stats at MyFitnessPal.com
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-free Carrot Bundt Cake
Serving Size
 
1 Slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
373
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Cholesterol
 
61
mg
20
%
Sodium
 
103
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
51
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
44
g
15
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
31
g
34
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.