Gluten-Free Carrot-Zucchini Cake made with almond and white rice flour and topped with cashew frosting. A delicious seasonal cake that is egg-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free.
It's carrot cake season, friends.
Probably my favorite of the seasonal spring desserts. Carrot cake is a classic that never gets old.
But today, I'm changing a few things up. Because you can never have too many carrot cake recipes.
Especially gluten-free carrot cake recipes.
I love the natural sweetness and moisture that vegetables can bring to baked goods. Zucchini is the star of my favorite chocolate zucchini muffins and I thought the combination of both carrot and zucchini could really make some magic.
The tricky part of this gluten-free cake was also keeping it egg-free. With the right combination of flours and starch, a moist vegan gluten-free carrot-zucchini cake is possible.
Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Cashew Frosting Ingredients
Carrot-Zucchini Cake with Cashew Frosting IngredientsHere's the major players:
- almond flour
- white rice flour
- arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- ground flaxseed
- coconut sugar
- maple syrup
- lemon juice
- zucchini
- carrots
- walnuts
- raw cashews
Of course, you can always top your cake with a favorite frosting of choice. This vegan cashew frosting is a cinch to whip up and no oil or vegan butter needed.
A sprinkle of chopped walnuts on top of the cake adds a nice finishing touch. Loaf cakes make for low maintenance decorating but look pretty all the same.
If you are on the lookout for a savory carrot recipe as well, Megan has a delicious roasted rainbow carrots recipe that would be perfect for any holiday table.
More Carrot Recipes
Gluten-Free Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
Carrot Pie with Walnut-Oat Crust
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Carrot Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed of excess liquid
- 1 cup finely grated carrots, squeezed of excess liquid
- 2 flax eggs 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds + 6 tablespoons warm water
- ¼ cup coconut sugar 33 g
- ½ cup white rice flour 88 g
- 1 ½ cups almond flour 157 g
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch cornstarch works too (23 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract I use Rodelle
- ½ cup walnuts chopped, extra for topping
Vegan Cashew Frosting
- 1 cup raw cashews, rinsed soaked in hot water for 10 min
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan (8x4x2) with coconut oil or cooking spray. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make your flax eggs in a small bowl and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Grate the zucchini and carrots, squeeze out the excess liquid, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine coconut sugar, white rice flour, almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk to combine. Add flax eggs, coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until mixture is evenly combined.
- Fold in zucchini, carrots, and chopped walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Shake gently side to side to even out batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes. A toothpick should come out almost completely clean and the center should be set. Allow cake to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- While the cake bakes, allow your cashews to soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and rinse them. Transfer cashews to a high speed blender.
- Add maple syrup, almond milk (starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons, add more after blending if needed), lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Blend on high until smooth. Place cashew frosting in the refrigerator until it is time to frost.
- Use parchment paper flaps to remove cake from pan. Frost with cashew frosting or other desired frosting and top with additional walnuts. Slice and serve.
Amber
Hi there :)
Any replacement for rice flour??
Thanks!
Amber
Tessa
Hi! I haven't tested it here, but sorghum flour or brown rice flour would probably be the best substitutes.
Amber
Me again a year later…
I have sweet rice flour intended for mochi at some point- will that work?
Tessa
Hi Amber! I hope you are doing well. I do think that sweet rice flour could be a good substitute for the white rice flour in this recipe since it is a minimal amount. If there is too much sweet white rice flour, the baked goods could become too gummy. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think!
Uzhmaa
I just made this and it came out amazing! I replaced coconut oil with Sunflower oil, and coconut sugar with Brown sugar, still tasted amazing. Thank you ! :D
Tessa
That is awesome! Thank you!!
Uzhmaa
Hi can I use vegtable oil (sunflower) instead of coconut oil? That's just what I have :)
Lauren
Tessa this looks and sounds delicious!! Carrot cake is my favorite, but I love your twist on it by adding zucchini too!
Tessa
Carrot cake is one of my favorites too. :) Thanks so much, Lauren!!