Why This Recipe Works

This carrot cake is a true crowd-pleaser. Extra-virgin olive oil and almond flour add slightly savory notes, and ginger offers a floral bite. It’s also pantry-friendly and designed to avoid common pitfalls of gluten-free baked goods. Because almond flour doesn’t absorb as much fat as wheat flour, we knew we needed to use a relatively small amount of oil or risk the cake becoming greasy. After testing different amounts, we found that ⅓ cup was optimal. Brown sugar added moisture and helped combat any dryness in the cake. Fine-textured cornstarch prevented the cake from becoming too dense without introducing any grittiness. A generous amount of cream cheese frosting spread atop the cooled cake provided tang, and a sprinkle of pistachios added a crunchy, attractive final flourish.

Before You Begin

Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the carrots. You can use tapioca starch in place of the cornstarch.

Instructions

for the cake

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make parchment sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of parchment so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of parchment in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra parchment hanging over edges of pan. Push parchment into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing flush to pan. Grease parchment. Pulse pistachios in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses (it’s OK if there are a few larger pieces). Measure out and reserve ¼ cup for garnishing finished cake; transfer remaining pistachios to large bowl.

Add almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, salt, and cardamom to bowl with pistachios, whisking to combine. Add carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, and grated ginger to pistachio mixture, whisking until smooth. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with silicone spatula.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Using parchment overhang, lift cake out of pan. Let cake cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.

for the frosting

While cake cools, using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese and softened butter on medium speed until well combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.

Spread frosting evenly over top of cooled cake, then sprinkle with reserved pistachios. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)