In case you need to justify eating cake for breakfast, or any other time of day, here goes. This recipe is sweet but not too sweet. It's naturally sweetened with carrots, ground cinnamon, and maple syrup or honey. The creamy cheese frosting can also offer a probiotic boost to your day. The frosting doesn't require much sweetener because the tanginess balances the sweetness of the cake to form a great pair.
I prefer my cake on the basic side, but feel free to add raisins and walnuts (see the recipe notes), decorate with more toasted walnuts on the top or bottom of the cake, and frost it as a naked cake by spreading frosting in between layers and on the top.
I have a recipe for carrot cake in my cookbook, The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook, which uses just coconut flour. This recipe uses a combination of coconut and almond flour that gives the cake a light, tender texture. If you prefer, you can omit the coconut flour and use 2 cups of almond flour instead of 1 cup.
For the frosting, you have a few options: Farmers cheese, goat cheese, dripped yogurt aka Greek yogurt, or substitute to make the frosting dairy free using cashew ricotta that is on the thick side (recipes below).
I use 6-inch baking pans to make a small layer cake, or you can use 7-inch baking pans for a slightly flatter cake (or springform pans). Another option is to make it as a small sheet cake in an 8-inch square pan. You can also double this recipe and use two 8-inch or 9-inch baking pans for a larger cake and more servings.
And if you're looking for a snack-like bite of cake, try my Carrot Snack Cake, which is based on this cake.
Dee says
This was delicious! Since I had to use what I had on hand, I substituted full fat coconut milk for the oil. Thank you for the recipe!
Erica says
Always great to hear! Great idea to sub with coconut milk 🙂
shubham deshmukh says
Oh my this look delicious ! I can’t wait to try this!
Jocelyn Folde says
Hello
Is it possible to substitute almond flour for Spelt flour in this recipe and in your recipes in general? We have nut allergies. Thank you and I can’t wait to try this cake recipe!
Erica says
I don't know if it will work, sorry!
Laura says
I am so excited to see your recipe, I have carrots and I will, hopefully, make this either tomorrow to Tuesday. Thank you so very much. I love your recipes so much! Take care...
Erica says
Thanks so much, Laura 🙂 I hope it you enjoy it!
Elaine Huebner says
How can I make these into cupcakes? I want to have individual servings that I can freeze and take out one at a time. That way, I won’t be tempted to eat too much at one time!
Erica says
I haven't tested this yet, but I imagine it will make about 8 cupcakes baking for about 15 minutes or so.
Deborah Nitzberg says
Will it work in a one layer 8 or 9 inch round pan?
Erica says
Yes, it will work in a 8-inch or 9-inch round pan, or a square pan. 🙂