Each year for their birthday, I let each of my kids choose their birthday cakes. I know this isn’t anything new or exciting – it’s usually it’s chocolate or vanilla or an ice cream cake. But when I asked my daughter and she wanted a carrot cake, I was so excited!
The reason I was excited may have had to do with the fact that I’d been craving carrot cake for sometime now, especially since I had indulged in a not so health version at a friends baby shower recently. It was so good I couldn’t stop myself, but I sure felt the effects of a sugar higher almost immediately afterwards followed by a fight with my eyelids, trying to keep them open in the long car ride home. So not fun.
I immediately jumped on the computer in search of a recipe that was easy and free of refined sugars. I also needed it to be gluten free since my son at the time was eating GF, and I really prefer to avoid wheat whenever possible (I just feel better!).
I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but I was able to mix and match a few recipes that created fantastic results. And fortunately, making something gluten free is pretty easy these days.
The carrot cake was a hit! All the kids loved it, including my 9 year old and my picky husband.
My daughter with her carrot cupcakes for her 15th birthday.
My husband love it so much that when we recently had a large supply of carrots and he enlisted my daughter to make another carrot cake.
Of course, one of the great things about carrot cake, is it’s not just a desert! Especially if it’s made healthier, like this one.
I think just about everyone in my family enjoyed some for breakfast, and both my son and daughter took some for morning snack. Yum!
Give this healthier version a try (in moderation, of course ;)), and let me know in the comments below how you liked it.
Carrot Cake
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: approximately 60 minutes
Makes: 1 2-layer cake, 1 9×13 cake, or about 24 cupcakes
- 3 cups flour of choice (see note below for what I use)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp avocado oil, olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten or 2 flax eggs (see below)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup raisins (or 1/2 cup raisins & 1/2 cup naturally sweetened dried cranberries)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare cake pan(s) by greasing with a little coconut or avocado oil and sprinkle a little flour to cover the surface or line a muffin tin with baking cups.
- Shred the carrots. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. Set aside.
- In medium mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: maple syrup, oil, apple sauce, eggs, vanilla, almond milk. If using flax eggs, be sure to make them first, prior to shredding the carrots, to give it time to set.
- Add the combined wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well, until smooth.
- Add the nuts, coconut, raisins and cranberries. Combine.
- Fill muffin tins about 2/3rds full or divide batter between 2 9-inch cake pans. You can also make a sheet cake using a 9×13 cake pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes for cupcakes, about 30-35 minutes for 2 round cakes or about 40-45 minutes for a 9×13 cake. You’ll know when they’re done when the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I always check the cupcakes/cake early to avoid over baking.
- Remove from oven and cool. Once cool, ice with the cashew frosting (see directions below).
- Enjoy!
Cashew Frosting
Total time: under 10 minutes
- 2 cups cashews
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- water, as needed, to thin
Directions
- Add all of the ingredients into a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Add water as needed to thin.
- Once cake or muffins have cooled, frost.
NOTES
◊ To make these gluten-free, I used a gluten-free flour blend the first time I made them and they came out perfect. (For the gluten-free flour blend, I added 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum per each cup of flour.) When my daughter made the cake, she used gluten-free oat flour and it was just as delicious as well as super moist (as are most recipes when we substitute oat flour). Next time we make it, we’re going to try using 1-1/2 cup oat flour and 1-1/2 cup spelt flour (which isn’t gluten-free for people needing to avoid all gluten). I’ll be sure to update here how these ones turned out.
◊ To make one flax egg, combine 1 tbsp ground flax seed with 3 tbsp warm water. Place in refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes, until gelled. This recipe calls for 2 eggs, so be sure to double the recipe!
◊ No applesauce on hand? No worries. That happened when my daughter made the cake, and we substituted 1/2 cup avocado oil for the 1/2 cup applesauce and omitted the 4 tbsp of oil. It worked out beautifully and was super moist. So moist that I might try a little less than 1/2 cup of oil next time. I’m sure that olive oil or coconut oil would work just as well.
◊ These taste delicious on the first day, and even better on the second day! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Did you give this recipe a try? If so, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below!
oxo,
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