Healthier Carrot Cake

So I don’t make a lot of cakes because they just seem like too much work. You have to whip the eggs and bake multiple layers, not to mention the frosting that I can never seem to apply in an even layer. And after all this work, so many things could go wrong, your cake could fall, it could be too dry, too dense, or undercooked. This carrot cake is completely different. It’s so easy to whip up – you don’t need to beat the eggs, it only requires two layers, and the cream cheese frosting is so delicious and easy to make. This cake is even made with almond flour and whole wheat flour but it’s still so light and tender. It has all of that classic carrot cake flavor that screams spring.

Tips:

This cake is packed with 3 cups of grated carrots which for me was exactly one bag of carrots that was 16 oz. You can definitely grate the carrots using a box grater but if you have a food processor, feel free to use that. It speeds up the process and creates perfectly sized shreds. Just make sure you don’t overdo it and create a carrot puree!

For the raisins, you can use either golden or dark raisins, or you can leave them out (but I love them). If you have the time, you can soak the raisins in some warm water for a couple hours which will really help them plump up.

For the frosting, it is really important that the cream cheese and the butter are at room temperature. This will help them whip together much more easily and create an extremely smooth frosting.

Healthier Carrot Cake

Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Servings: 1 9 inch cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans or preferred nut
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Extra chopped nuts for decorating, optional

For the frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325º F. Liberally butter the sides and line the bottoms of two 9 inch round pans with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, add the grated carrots, chopped nuts, and raisins, then stir together.
3. In a large bowl, add the oil and sugar, and use a whisk to combine very well. Then add the eggs one at a time, whisking between each addition until the batter is smooth. Then whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the applesauce and whisk well until everything is combined.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet batter and gently stir until just combined with a spoon or spatula. Then add the carrot mixture and fold into the batter.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 35-45 minutes. They are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When done baking, transfer the pans to a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool to room temperature on the cooling racks. It is helpful to run a knife around the edge of the cake to help loosen the sides.
6. For the frosting: In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and butter and beat using a hand mixer or stand mixer until evenly combined and fluffy. Then add the powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is light and smooth. Then gently beat in the vanilla extract.
7. When ready to frost, you can either frost the middle of the layers and the top of the cake in a thick layer of frosting or you can frost the middle of the layers and add a thin layer of frosting around the sides and top.
8. Serve the cake at room temperature. Store any leftovers in the fridge.