Do you order a slice of carrot cake guilt-free when you see one on the menu? After all, it has carrots in it, so it must be healthy and count towards “five-a-day”, right? Not really.
In reality, many traditional recipes are veritable calorie and sugar bombs. They spike your blood glucose, make you crave more sweets and add unwanted pounds.
Here is a healthier carrot cake version, that is grain-, processed sugar- and gluten-free. It tastes like the real thing, but is kind to your waist line and will not give you a nasty sugar crush. When you crave a treat, give this recipe a try.
Carrot Cake
For the cake
4 medium size carrots (approx. 300 gr), finally grated
4 eggs
2.5 cups almond meal
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup broken flax seeds
¼ cup coconut butter, melted
1/3 cup coconut cream
1 heaped teaspoon GF baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon stevia extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange
80 gr walnuts, chopped
4 dates (finally chopped)
For the cream cheese icing:
200gr cream cheese
1TBS coconut yoghurt
1.5 TBS raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 185 °C.
- Grate the carrots and set aside.
- Combine all dry ingredients (almond meal, coconut flour, flax seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, zest) and mix well.
- Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until light and frothy.
- Carefully fold in grated carrots.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients (stevia extract, vanilla extract, coconut cream and melted coconut butter)
- Add dry ingredients.
- Add chopped dates and walnuts.
- Transfer the mixture into a baking pan lined with lightly greased parchment paper.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (approx. 30 min).
- Make the icing by combining cream cheese, coconut cream, vanilla extract and honey.
- Spread the icing on the cooled cake.
