Not your traditional carrot cake! But if you’ve ever cooked with almond and coconut flour before you’d know how the two together provide a naturally sweet flavour and rich, buttery texture. Finely blanched almond flour has a light consistency which complements coconut flour, which is dense and much more absorbent. Both of these flours are low in carbohydrates, and high in fibre and heart-healthy fats, making a slice of this carrot cake very satisfying! Topped with a dairy free cream cheese frosting made from soaked cashews, deliciously luxurious!

When I made this I wasn’t sure if the texture was OK since it’s not dense like a traditional carrot cake, but I had 4 friends try it and were all BIG FANS of it! This cake tastes so much better the next day after it’s been sitting in the fridge and the texture and flavours have had time to settle a little šŸ˜‰Ā 

So if you’re into healthier versions of popular desserts (that still taste incredible!) you may fancy trying my version out. The texture is tender and moist, and this recipe really packs the carrots in!

I’m someone who likes to go a tad bit extra on ingredients, so if you’re keen then adding in toasted coconut flakes and chopped walnuts inside the cake gives it more texture and makes it that much more delicious in my opinion! But you can leave them out if you wish (same goes with the raisins), but where’s the fun in that?

I also added lots of spice… cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger powder. They add such a nice depth to this cake, the fresher the spice the more potent the flavour and health benefits, so make sure your spices haven’t been sitting around for longer than a few years otherwise you won’t be able to fully experience the flavour profile of this cake!

 

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 35Ā minutes
TOTAL TIME: 55Ā minutes
SERVINGS: 12 slices

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • Ā½ cupĀ coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoonĀ baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Ā¼ teaspoonĀ nutmeg
  • Ā¼ teaspoonĀ sea salt
  • 4Ā large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • Ā¼ cupĀ almond milk
  • ā…“ cupĀ coconut oil, melted
  • 3 cups shredded carrots (patted dry with a clean dish cloth or paper towel)
  • Ā½ cup dark or golden raisins (omit if you don’t like ’em)
  • Ā½ cup chopped walnuts (plus 1/3 cup as garnish)
  • Ā½ cup coconut flakes (plus 1/3 cup as garnish)
for the cashew cream cheese frosting
  • 2Ā cupsĀ raw cashewsĀ soaked overnight
  • 1/3Ā cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
  • 2Ā tablespoonsĀ fresh lemon juiceĀ to taste
  • 1/4Ā cupĀ unsweetened almond milk
  • 1Ā teaspoonĀ pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8Ā teaspoonĀ sea salt

Instructions

To make the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round spring form cake pan with a parchment paper round. Lightly grease parchment paper and sides of the pans with coconut oil. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients ā€“ almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sea salt, set aside.
  2. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup, almond milk and melted coconut oil.
  3. Preheat large skillet on low heat, add walnuts and toast for a few minutes (until fragrant), stirring occasionally. Add coconut flakes and toast another minute, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat.
  4. Grate carrots. Pat them dry with a paper towel or clean dish cloth to remove excess liquid. (Doesn’t have to be bone dry, but rather not as soggy)
  5. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until fully combined, fold in the shredded carrots, raisins, 1/2 cup coconut flakes and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
  6. Pour the cake mixture into the cake pan, bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, then the cake is done.
  7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting it. This is really important! Be patient šŸ™‚
  8. To frost, use the batch of the cashew cream cheese frosting recipe above. Spread out the frosting on the top and sides of the cake, decorate with remaining chopped walnuts and coconut flakes.

To make the cashew cream cheese frosting:
The frosting will turn out creamier if you soak the cashews overnight (up to 12 hours) but soaking them for a few hours using boiling hot water can work if you’re in a pinch. After soaking the cashews, drain them and give them a quick rinse. Add them to a high-powered blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until a completely smooth frosting forms. Add more maple syrup and/or lemon juice to taste.

 

Hope you love this just as much as my recipe tester friends did! Tag me on instagram @maya_nutrition to let me know how it turned out for you!