Creamy Gluten Free Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe
This gluten-free carrot cake tray bake is a delightful treat that perfectly balances moistness and flavour, making it an ideal dessert for any occasion.
The cake is packed with freshly grated carrots, which not only add natural sweetness but also contribute to its tender texture.
The addition of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg enhances the overall flavour profile, creating a comforting aroma that fills your kitchen as it bakes.
Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts this tray bake is not just gluten-free; it’s a crowd-pleaser that appeals to everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions.
Perfect for sharing at gatherings or enjoying as a sweet afternoon snack, this carrot cake is sure to become a favourite in your recipe collection.
Table of Contents
What you’ll love about this recipe
- Deliciously moist and packed with flavour
- Easy to make in one bowl – no fuss, no muss!
- Perfect for sharing at parties or gatherings
- It is so delicious it won’t be around for long.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients: For this scrumptious traybake, you’ll need gluten-free plain flour, golden castor sugar, bicarbonate of soda, Xanthan gum, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. These form the base of our cake, giving it structure and that warm, spicy flavour we all love.
Wet ingredients: To bring moisture and bind everything together, we’ll use vegetable oil and eggs.
Fruit and veg: The star of the show is, of course, grated carrots. We’ll also add some sultanas for extra sweetness and texture. Feel free to soak your sultanas in orange juice for an extra flavour boost!
Topping: For that classic finish, we’ll whip up a simple icing using icing sugar, cream cheese and crunchy walnuts. It’s the perfect sweet touch to complement our spicy cake.
Instructions
First things first, let’s get our oven ready. Preheat it to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 9-inch square baking tin with parchment paper. This ensures our cake won’t stick and makes for easy removal later.
Now, grab a large mixing bowl. This is where the magic happens! Chuck in all your ingredients – yes, all of them. Give everything a good mix until it’s well combined. Don’t worry if it looks a bit thick, that’s exactly what we want.
Time to bake! Pour your mixture into the prepared tin and smooth it out. Pop it in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Once baked, let your cake cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Then, carefully lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is key here – let it cool fully before icing!
For the finishing touch, mix your icing sugar with the cream cheese until you get a thick consistency. Spread this over your cooled cake and add the chopped nuts. Voila! Your gluten-free carrot cake traybake is ready to be devoured.
What to serve with Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Traybake
This traybake is brilliant on its own, but why not jazz it up a bit? A dollop of cream or ice cream would be absolutely lush alongside a slice. If you’re feeling fancy, a sprinkle of chopped nuts on top adds a lovely crunch.
For a proper British tea-time treat, serve it with a steaming cup of your favourite tea. Earl Grey or English Breakfast would be spot on. And if you’re celebrating, why not pair it with a glass of bubbly? After all, gluten-free living is all about enjoying good food with great company!
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Traybake
Are you ready to try my gluten-free carrot cake recipe? Then let’s get started:
Creamy Gluten Free Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Measuring Jug
- 1 Table Spoon
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Cheese grater
- 1 Whisk
- 1 9-inch Square Baking Tin
- 1 Greaseproof paper
Ingredients
- 225 g Golden castor sugar
- 120 g Vegetable oil ( or 3/4 cup)
- 3 Medium eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 200 g Plain gluten free flour
- 3/4 tsp Gluten-free baking powder
- 3/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum, omit if your flour blend already has it
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 225 g Peeled and grated carrots
- 90 g Walnuts
- 170 g Cream cheese cold from the fridge For the frosting
- 100 g Icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a 9-inch square baking tin with greaseproof paper. Leave a bit of extra paper overhanging so its easier to remove your cake from the tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the castor sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until they are well combined.
- Stir in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Whisk everything together into a smooth batter, without any clumps.
- Add the grated carrots and the roughly chopped-up walnuts, and fold them through the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking tin, making sure it is level.
- Bake at 180C for 35 minutes on the middle shelf, or until the cake is golden brown and well-risen. To make sure the cake is fully cooked insert a skewer into the middle, if it comes out clean then the cake is done. If not pop back in and keep checking every five minutes. If the cake begins to brown too quickly then put some aluminium foil over the top and continue to bake until done.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then fully remove from the tin onto a cooling rack.
- To make the frosting whisk the cream cheese until it is smooth and loose.
- Add the icing sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.
- Spread the cream frosting onto the fully-cooled cake and decorate it with walnut pieces.
- Store this gluten-free cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed my gluten-free carrot cake traybake recipe, check out my gluten-free Victoria sponge and gluten-free flag cake recipes.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Traybake Tips
Here are some tips to help you make the most out of my gluten-free carrot cake traybake recipe:
Avoid Cross-Contamination
If you’re preparing gluten-free carrot cake traybake in a kitchen that is not entirely gluten-free, take precautions to avoid cross-contamination.
Use separate utensils, cutting boards, and cooking surfaces to prevent gluten from coming into contact with the ingredients.
When possible do not use wooden utensils, cutting boards, and rolling pins that are used with gluten.
Label items
Consider buying two of certain shared food items like jam, and butter, dedicate one, and label it as gluten-free.
Cooking oil
Use separate oils to fry gluten-free foods as they will become contaminated and not safe to eat.
Personal Hygiene
Always wash your hands with hot water and soap before you handle any ingredients.
Other gluten-free cake recipes
- Zesty Gluten-Free Courgette Cake (Lime-Iced)
- Heavenly Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
- Supreme Gluten-Free Apple Cake Recipe
- Gluten-Free Fruit Cake Recipe
- Unforgettable Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge Recipe
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Becky Terrell ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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Comments
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This looks really good, and the toppings are so cute!
Creamy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Traybake
So moist and the frosting is to die for—my husband couldn’t believe it was gluten-free.
This carrot cake is moist, spiced just right, and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.