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Gluten-free carrot cake made with pancake mix, topped with cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cake with Pancake Mix

on May 31 2025
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    Yes, you can make a genuinely great carrot cake from a bag of pancake mix, and this is the one to make. Our Pancake & Baking Mix brings the structure, so all you add is fresh grated carrots, warm spices, a little orange zest, and crushed pineapple for moisture. It bakes up tender and deeply spiced, closer to a bakery carrot cake than anything that starts with a plain box, and it is finished with an easy from-scratch cream cheese frosting. If you have ever wondered whether a pancake and baking mix can stand in for a carrot cake mix, this is the proof. So good, no one will guess it is gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

    Why you'll love it

    • Starts from pancake mix, so it is faster and more foolproof than from-scratch carrot cake.
    • Properly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and orange zest, not just cinnamon.
    • Moist and tender, thanks to grated carrots and crushed pineapple.
    • Real cream cheese frosting, made from scratch in a few minutes.
    • Gluten-free without compromise, made with Pamela's GFCO-certified Pancake & Baking Mix.

    Can you make carrot cake with pancake mix?

    Yes, and it works beautifully. A pancake and baking mix already contains the flour, leavening, and a little sweetness, which is most of what a cake needs, so you are just adding the carrots, spices, and moisture that make it carrot cake. If you have searched for a "bisquick carrot cake" or a gluten-free carrot cake mix, this is the same idea done gluten-free: one bag of Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix, no special carrot cake mix required.

    Where to buy a gluten-free carrot cake

    Gluten-free carrot cake is hard to find pre-made, and bakery versions are expensive and rarely available on short notice. This one takes one bag of Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix and about a half hour of hands-on time, and it feeds a crowd for far less than a bakery cake. Keep a bag in the pantry and a holiday-worthy carrot cake is always within reach.

    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 to 45 minutes depending on pan
    Total Time about 1 hour, plus cooling
    Yield one cake (about 12 servings)
    Serving Size 1 slice

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 2 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp allspice
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 pinch ground cloves
    • Zest of 1 orange
    • 3/4 cup oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
    • 1/2 cup (or one 8 oz can) crushed pineapple in juice, well drained
    • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

    Cream cheese frosting

    • 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
    • 2 tbsp butter or margarine, room temperature
    • 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 tsp water, plus more as needed
    • 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
    Shop Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 4 lb.

    Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, with a rack in the top third.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Pancake & Baking Mix and the spices, and set aside.
    3. In a stand mixer or by hand, beat the orange zest, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Mix in the carrots and drained pineapple.
    4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well, then stir in the walnuts if using.
    5. Pour into your prepared pan or pans, greased with cooking spray, and bake according to the pan chart below. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
    6. Cool completely, then frost with the cream cheese frosting.
    7. For the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, water, and optional cinnamon and beat on medium for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. If it is too thick, add more water a teaspoon at a time. Frost the fully cooled cake.
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    Recipe Tips & Notes

    Drain the pineapple well. Excess juice is the most common cause of a gummy carrot cake. Press it in a sieve before adding.

    To keep it gluten-free: Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix is GFCO-certified. Keep your other additions, including the powdered sugar, gluten-free too.

    No cream cheese on hand? You can make the frosting with Hoosier Hill Farm Cream Cheese Powder, a shelf-stable powder made from real cream cheese. Rehydrate 1 1/2 cups of the powder with 1/2 cup cold water to replace the 6 to 8 ounces of cream cheese, then continue as written. It is gluten-free and nut-free. Shop: Hoosier Hill Farm Cream Cheese Powder

    Bake times by pan

    Move this out of the numbered steps and into a note or table:

    • Two 8-inch round pans (two 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch layers): 30 to 35 minutes
    • One 9-inch springform (one 2 to 2 1/2 inch cake): about 45 minutes
    • One 7x11-inch rectangle (one 2 inch cake): 40 to 45 minutes

    Variations

    • Add raisins: fold in 1/2 cup with the carrots.
    • Loaf: bake in a greased loaf pan for a carrot quick bread; start checking at 45 minutes.
    • Cupcakes: fills about 18; check at 20 to 24 minutes.
    • Nut-free: leave out the walnuts; the cake is excellent without them.
    • Extra citrus: a little orange juice in the frosting plays off the orange zest in the cake.

    Make ahead & storage

    • The unfrosted cake keeps wrapped at room temperature for a day, or freeze the layers for up to 2 months.
    • Once frosted with cream cheese frosting, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    • Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

    Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, 4 lb.

    Featured Product

    $22.49

    View full details

    Size: 4 lbs

    Pack Size

    The same Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix families have trusted since 1988, in a 4 lb. bag that makes about 90 pancakes. GFCO-certified, made with cultured buttermilk and almond meal, with 8 grams of whole grains per serving and no added sugars.

    Built for pancake households

    If weekend pancakes are a tradition in your house, the 4 lb. bag keeps up. Make a double batch: cooked pancakes freeze beautifully and reheat in the microwave in under a minute, straight into school mornings. It covers the muffins, biscuits, and banana bread in between too, at a lower cost per serving than the 24 oz. bag.

    Never run out

    Add Subscribe & Save and your next bag arrives on your schedule with 10% off every order. Pause or cancel anytime.

    Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Cultured Buttermilk, Almond Meal, Tapioca Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate), Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.

    Contains Milk and Almonds.

    Pamela's Products are manufactured in a Gluten-Free Certified Facility and peanut-free facility. Our products are produced on equipment that processes Tree Nuts, Coconut, Eggs, and Soy.

    We've Got Answers

    Yes. A pancake and baking mix already has the flour and leavening a cake needs, so you just add grated carrots, warm spices, and crushed pineapple. This recipe uses Pamela's Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix, so it is completely gluten-free.

    Exactly. It is the same idea, a baking mix turned into carrot cake, made with Pamela's GFCO-certified Pancake & Baking Mix so it works for gluten-free bakers.

    No. You do not need a dedicated carrot cake mix. One bag of Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix plus carrots, spices, and pineapple does the job, and the same bag makes pancakes, waffles, and more.

    It is optional but recommended. Crushed pineapple keeps the cake moist. Drain it very well, since excess juice can make the cake gummy. Leave it out for a slightly less sweet, more traditional carrot cake.

    This recipe bakes as two 8-inch rounds (30 to 35 minutes), a 9-inch springform (about 45 minutes), or a 7x11-inch pan (40 to 45 minutes) at 325 degrees F. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

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