Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes (Super Moist, Light & Flavourful Recipe)

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These light, beautifully fluffy carrot cakes are so soft and moist that no one will guess they are gluten free. The cakes are gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, studded with chopped walnuts, then topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. A great gluten free cake recipe ideal for sharing.

Why This Is My Go-To Carrot Cake Recipe

Everyone always assumes (myself included, before I got diagnosed with coeliac!) that gluten free cake will be dry, tasteless and crumbly. From what I'd read online and some of the first products I tried, I was fairly confident that some of the shop-bought options certainly did live up to this description - so I made myself a promise.

I resolved to never miss out - kind of a big goal, but OK - & I set about learning as much as I could about gluten free ingredients, baking and cooking techniques that would help me to continue eating great food. I’ve always loved to cook & bake, & I knew how to read food labels thanks to the proofreading I’ve done in my 9-5 job, which I think gave me a real head-start.

I guess I hoped that by being able to cook or bake my favourite things from before diagnosis, I'd be able to shake off that negativity I felt around what I could now eat & what was now off limits.

The great news is that this carrot cake recipe is so well-tried and tested and absolutely foolproof - you can't go wrong. Using sunflower oil as the base for the cake really helps lock in moisture - and adding grated carrot to the mix really helps too, creating a sponge that's light and fluffy and that will actually stay moist for days once made (unlike many other gluten free cakes which are best served on the day!)

Over the years I've served this recipe both as a whole, large cake and as cupcakes to friends, family members, and colleagues, and every one has commented how lovely and light the recipe is. Not a single person has guessed that it was gluten free. It really is that good!

The sweet, slightly tangy cream cheese icing is the icing on the cake, though (literally, haha). It's so delicious and not over-sweet, complementing the lightly spiced carrot cake sponge perfectly. The cream cheese frosting is also incredibly sturdy, so as long as you follow the recipe I promise even on the warmest days, it won't melt on you, slide off your cakes, or lose its shape once piped - a minor miracle!

Why I Know You'll Love This Recipe

• Light, fluffy sponge - no dry or crumbly gluten free texture here

• Dreamy cream cheese frosting that's easy to pipe

• Flavoured with cinnamon, ginger & freshly grated nutmeg

• Can be enjoyed fresh for days - not hours like some GF cakes!

FAQs

How do you make gluten free cupcakes moist?

This recipe makes a super-light and moist cake which people will be amazed is gluten free! This is down to a few factors - firstly, I find using oil instead of butter as the base of my cakes creates the most delicious, moist gluten free cakes. Secondly, I find most bakes that integrate fruit or vegetables within the batter (carrot cake, courgette cake, etc.) have a beautifully light texture due to the added moisture from the fruit or veg. You’ll also want to avoid over-baking the cupcakes to maintain their moist texture and avoid drying out the cakes. Lastly, brushing sugar syrup over the cupcakes before icing is an extra step that helps make the cakes extra-moist, especially if they’ll be sitting out before icing for a little while.

Can you make these cupcakes dairy-free?

Of course - when I make these for family parties I always make at least one cupcake in my batch dairy-free for my auntie who is dairy-intolerant. Instead of the cream cheese frosting, you can top the cupcakes with a simple dairy-free buttercream recipe using a dairy-free block butter for best results (Flora Irresistibly Creamy Salted Block is my favourite).

Can I make these gluten free carrot cake cupcakes without nuts?

Absolutely, and they will be equally delicious. Simply omit the chopped walnuts from the recipe. The nuts in this recipe are optional & I don’t tend to include them if I’m baking for an office workplace or public event (where people may have allergies you’re not aware of), or for children as I’ve found they generally prefer their cakes without. It’s also best to double check your other ingredients are all free from nuts & may contain warnings to be completely sure.

Can you freeze carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting?

Yes, these cupcakes can be frozen but I’d recommend defrosting & eating the cakes within 3 months of freezing for best results.

What is the best gluten free flour for cupcakes?

I use gluten free self-raising flour in this recipe, like Asda’s or Dove’s.

The raising agents help the cupcakes to rise and create the light, fluffy texture of the cakes. If you check the ingredients you’ll also see that many gluten free self-raising flours on sale in the UK contain a little xanthan gum (not all, so do check yours), which means we don’t need to add any extra to this bake. Xanthan gum is a really helpful ingredient in gluten free baking for creating a better texture that mimics what the ‘gluten’ achieves in regular normie flour. I’d suggest using a gluten free self-raising flour that includes xanthan gum in this recipe to maintain the cake’s light, fluffy texture.

How do I keep my cream cheese frosting stiff?

Firstly, ensure you use full-fat cream cheese as the lighter options just aren’t as thick or stable. When you open your cream cheese, give it a quick drain over the sink in case there’s any excess fluid in there which you don’t want thinning out your frosting. Make sure your butter is room temperature, but not too warm, as this can also cause problems with consistency. Beating the frosting well as directed helps to maintain the frosting’s structure - I’ve travelled in a hot car with my frosting for 30mins & the frosting has still maintained its structure which seems quite incredible given how dairy-heavy it is!

What piping tip do you use to pipe your cream cheese frosting?

You can use any of your preferred piping tips, but I’ve used a 1M tip here and piped the frosting in a circular motion from the centre to the outside edge of the cupcakes, creating a pretty rosette pattern. Don’t move too fast and keep the icing bag taut to avoid air bubbles to create neat piping.

Why are these cupcakes baked at a low temperature?

I bake these cupcakes at a lower temperature to avoid them becoming too domed as they rise, as this makes them easier to decorate later on.

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe

🥄 Prep time: 20min | 🍪 Bake time: 25-28min | 🍽 Servings: 12 | ⭐ Difficulty: 3/5

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• Sunflower oil 175ml

• Light brown sugar 150g

• Grated zest of 1 orange

• 3 large eggs

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 140g grated carrot with excess moisture squeezed out (about 1.5 large carrots)

• Gluten free self-raising flour 175g

• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• Optional: chopped walnuts 90g

Simple sugar syrup:

• 15g granulated sugar

• 15ml water

Cream cheese frosting:

• Philadelphia cream cheese (full-fat) 280g - any excess liquid in tub drained first

• Salted butter 150g - room temperature (I prefer my frosting salted to mitigate the sweetness, but please go for unsalted if you’d prefer)

• Icing sugar 150g

• 2tsp vanilla extract

Decoration:

• Optional: shop-bought sugar carrots

Note: using a handheld electric whisk makes the cream cheese frosting really light work (& indeed many other jobs - whipping double cream, for instance, or creating meringues). They're so inexpensive & you’ll be amazed how much time & effort they save you!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160’ (180’ fan) & prepare your cupcake cases on a muffin tin / cupcake tray (I prefer to use the thicker, more robust paper cupcake cases that can go straight onto a baking sheet, but use whatever you have to hand!).

2. Mix together the oil & sugar until combined.

3. Add the eggs, orange zest, vanilla extract & carrot, & mix well.

4. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, grated nutmeg, ginger & salt, then sift into the wet ingredients & mix until combined.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between approx. 12 cupcake cases, filling the cases about ⅔ full to leave room for rising.

6. Bake for 25-28mins, until the cupcakes are risen and golden, and a skewer comes out clean.

7. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely while you prepare the sugar syrup & cream cheese frosting.

8. For the sugar syrup, simply add sugar & water to a small pan & warm on a gentle heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside & allow to cool.

9. Once the syrup has cooled, use a silicone brush to spread the syrup generously across the tops of the cupcakes.

10. For the frosting, beat the butter with a handheld electric whisk for a couple of minutes to loosen.

11. Sift in the icing sugar bit by bit while beating for around 3 minutes, until well-combined.

12. Add your cream cheese & vanilla extract & beat again for 2-3mins until there are no visible lumps.

13. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag & ice your cupcakes - or simply spread on with a knife if preferred. I like to use a 1M piping tip & pipe from the centre, piping in circles until I reach the outside edge of the cakes for a rosette-style finish.

14. Directly before serving the cakes, add a sugar carrot decoration to the top of each iced cupcake.

Storage

Store any leftover cupcakes in the fridge and eat within 4 days, or freeze in an airtight container and eat within 3 months.