Gluten Free Easter Carrot Cake

Gluten Free Easter Carrot Cake

This Easter was quiet and meaningful—the kind of day that unfolds slowly and settles in your memory like a warm breeze. The alpacas were sunbathing in the pasture, our chickens content after their morning treats, and the garden offered up just enough color to build a salad that felt like spring itself. But it was the carrot cake that truly stole the show.

I’ve made a lot of carrot cakes over the years, but this one… this one felt special. Maybe it was because we shared it in the alpaca pasture, plates balanced on knees, goats watching with curiosity from the fence line. Or maybe it was because it was ours—homemade from scratch, gluten-free, full of flavor and love.

This cake is rich but not heavy, warmly spiced, with flecks of fresh carrot and a tender crumb that no one would guess is gluten-free. The cream cheese frosting is sweet and tangy and generous—just the way it should be. It’s one of those recipes that earns its place in the box you keep for generations.

If you’re looking for a dessert to bring people together, to end a holiday meal with warmth and joy, this is it.

Wild Juniper Carrot Cake (Gluten-Free)

For the Cake:

    •    1⅔ cups mild-flavored oil (I used avocado oil)

    •    1 cup granulated sugar

    •    1 cup packed brown sugar

    •    6 large eggs

    •    1 tbsp vanilla extract

    •    3¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

    •    1 tbsp ground cinnamon

    •    2 tsp baking soda

    •    2 tsp fine sea salt

    •    1 tsp baking powder

    •    ½ tsp ground nutmeg

    •    ¼ tsp ground cloves

    •    1 lb finely grated carrots

    •    Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, ½ cup raisins

For the Frosting:

    •    3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, room temp

    •    1 cup salted butter, room temp

    •    1 tbsp vanilla extract

    •    ½ tsp fine sea salt

    •    6 cups powdered sugar (add more or less for your preferred thickness)

Instructions:

    1.    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment.

    2.    Whisk together oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves.

    3.    Mix the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Fold in the grated carrots (and nuts or raisins, if using).

    4.    Divide the batter evenly between your pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

    5.    Cool completely before frosting.

    6.    For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly beat in powdered sugar until fluffy and spreadable.