It may surprise you, but the best cake I ever had was a slice of carrot cake. It was spiced, sweet (but not too sweet), and had a decadent cream cheese frosting. Unfortunately, like any cake, traditionally carrot cake has gluten, a lot of sugar, and other processed ingredients to stay away from. This recipe, however, is a Gluten-Free Carrot Cake that will still taste just as good as a regular carrot cake, and with no added sugar! This cake is truly perfect for an Easter dessert, or any other special occasion.
The Power of Carrots
Carrots are an amazing vegetable because they are full of nutrients that your body needs. They have potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin A, to name a few. They can lower your risk of cancer, promote eye health, have few calories, and help lower cholesterol. Honestly, with all those wonderful benefits, you should really make sure you are eating your carrots as much as possible! Read more HERE.
Best Healthy Healthy Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/3 cups Coconut Flour sifted
- 1 1/2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 9 large Eggs
- 1 cup Erythritol Sweetener or stevia, monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, xylitol, agave syrup
- 1/2 cup Plain non-fat Greek Yogurt
- 2 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups shredded Carrots medium grate
- 3/4 cup chopped Pecans
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened finely shredded Coconut
Optional Cake Mix-Ins:
- 1/2 cup Raisins
For the Frosting:
- 12 oz. Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered Erythritol Sweetener or stevia, monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, xylitol, agave syrup
- 3 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
For the Topping
- extra chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper, spraying the exposed sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, salt and nutmeg.
- In a separate, large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs, sweetener, Greek yogurt and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the coconut flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Gently fold in the carrots, pecans and coconut flakes until well combined. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can begin to absorb the moisture. Your batter will be thick, this is normal.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans, spreading out smoothly. Bake until the sides are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool COMPLETELY before frosting.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake for 22-32 minutes in the two 8-inch pans and 30-40 minutes for three 6-inch pans.
- Cakes are done when a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting or removing from the pans. The cake should be room temperature when you frost it. This is very important. Cakes can be made a day ahead if you’d like.
- Make your frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and yogurt on high speed until fluffy. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Set the mixer on low speed and gradually add in the powdered sweetener, until you've added all of it and it's well combined. Return to high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is fluffy.
- To frost: Place one layer bottom side up on a cake stand. Spread 3/4 cup of the frosting all over it evenly. Then, place the other cake bottom side up gently on top.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake to make the crumb coat. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it’s just to seal in the crumbs. Chill for at least an hour, up to overnight. Put the remaining frosting in the fridge too, so it starts to firm up.
- Once chilled, frost the entire cake. I find an offset spatula really helps! Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.
Notes
I hope you love this yummy Gluten Free Carrot Cake recipe, and if you do, please let me know! You can tag us on Social Media or leave a comment here. Come back next week for another healthy recipe, or check out some of my previous recipes!