This carrot cake and frosting is a delicious, moist and healthy alternative to the conventional carrot cake. They both use healthy ingredients such as gluten free flours (including almond flour), healthy fats/oil, natural sweeteners, and the frosting base is sweet potato! An ingenious recipe that actually does taste like cream cheese! So simple and so tasty! I made it for a neighborhood potluck and everyone was raving about it! So give it a try!
This cake can of course be made into any shapes. It was my granddaughter’s first birthday on Easter Sunday (2019) so her mom, who adapted this recipe, put the cake in a decorative egg mold so it was the perfect size for Jeanette’s little hands to get into. It took her no time at all to devour it!
Carrot cake can be a healthy alternative to other cakes since it does include carrots. But what's also important is to look at is what flour, oil and sugar is involved. This recipe uses wheat-free flour (including almond), coconut oil (a healthy saturated fat that is quick energy for the brain), and maple syrup, a natural, unrefined sweetener. The Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting is ingenious as it uses sweet potatoes for the taste and consistency. It is best to make this frosting the day before so it has a chance to thicken up in the refrigerator.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Servings |
slices
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Ingredients
Gluten-free Carrot Cake
- 1 cup gluten-free flour I like Bob's red mill since it is a nice mixture of ancient grains
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt may use coconut yogurt to make it dairy-free
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 2 cups carrots, grated
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 eggs
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 large Hannah sweet potato white flesh
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 2-4 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar1/8 teaspoon
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ingredients
Gluten-free Carrot Cake
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
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Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 9" round cake pans (or one 9 x 13 pan) with coconut oil, then dust with almond flour to avoid sticking.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger.
- In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, yogurt and almond milk.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just blended.
- Add the carrots and raisins and mix until combined.
- Pour batter into the 2 pans, split evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake is firm in the center. When using almond flour, always be careful not to overcook as this can make the cake dry.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peel and cut sweet potato into 1-inch chunks and steam or boil until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the cooked, mashed sweet potato to a blender. Add in maple syrup, coconut oil, 2 tablespoons water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. If not blending well, add 1-2 tablespoons water at a time to achieve a smooth consistency. Be careful not to add too much water as it will make the frosting too runny.
- Place frosting in airtight container and store in refrigerator overnight as this will help it thicken up.
- Frost cake however you'd like!
Recipe Notes
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