Description
A deliciously moist carrot cake made with healthy ingredients and topped with a creamy frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon cooking spray
- 1 cup cashews (see note 2)
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (see note 3)
- 3/4 cup maple syrup (see note 4)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (measure when melted)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1–1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (see note 5)
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1–3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
- Toasted and coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the cashews, oats, maple syrup, and coconut oil (measured when melted) to a large, powerful blender (Blend-tec/Vitamix) and blend until fairly smooth, about 60 seconds. Add in the rest of the cake ingredients except the carrots. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 60–90 seconds. Stop and scrape edges as needed.
- Meanwhile, grate carrots on the small side of the grater and measure to get 1 full cup. Gently stir the carrots into the batter in the blender and pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape out every bit.
- Smooth the top with the spatula and bake for 28–34 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned at the edges and set in the middle (toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean). (32 mins is perfect in my oven!)
- Optional Frosting: Meanwhile, place softened cream cheese in a large bowl. (Give it ample time to warm to room temperature so your frosting isn’t chunky.) Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar (beating between additions) until smooth and creamy and to your desired consistency. Add milk and beat until smooth.
- Frost the completely cooled cake evenly with the frosting. If desired, top the frosting with chopped pecans.
Notes
- Note 2: Soaking the cashews makes them easier to blend into a smooth mixture.
- Note 3: Old-fashioned oats work best for texture.
- Note 4: Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or agave nectar.
- Note 5: Cornstarch helps thicken the batter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg