Sometimes, it feels like it’s all been done. Like every creative opportunity has been seized and every novel idea has been conceived and executed upon. It seems like food blogging is all of a sudden characterized by a rejection of the “boring” classics, and has turned into a race for bigger and better examples of, I don’t know, “innovation!”, “mashups!” and that horrid phrase (and activity) “trashing up!”, but to be honest, that’s just not me. Though cooking and baking is mostly about the opportunity to flex my creative muscles, when it feels like everything left to discover (everything palatable, anyway) has been discovered, maybe that’s ok. Maybe it just means it is time to go back to the classics.
Take this cake, for example. When it really comes down to it, there is nothing special about a basic double-layer carrot with vanilla frosting*, but maybe that’s the point. I mean look at it: it’s understated; it’s honest; it’s confident with who it is. Maybe a carrot cake, with its heady mixture of flavors, textures, its dense crumb and its nearly-overwhelming (not quite, but maybe just toeing the line) array of spices and add-ins that, quite frankly, do a lot for the cake but get none of the credit – carrot-raisin-pineapple-walnut-cinnamon-nutmeg-clove cake doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, though, does it? – is special enough on its own, without being turned into a s’more or a cannoli, or, with as much self control as I could manage, being funfetti’d.
* Of course, having come from my kitchen, this is a grain-free carrot cake, and it’s also gluten/dairy/refined-sugar free, but that probably comes as no surprise.
Ok, while that last one is technically true, I did end up adorning the top of the cake with multi-colored sprinkles just before serving. How could I resist? This was a birthday cake, you see, so while the cake itself may not have been transformed into a grilled cheese or a milkshake (should I be copyrighting these ideas?) or any other creative but, let’s face it, over-the-line-excessive iteration, it was most certainly still a very special cake. Can we all pause here to wish my dad a very happy birthday? Though it was on Monday, and I didn’t get my act together in time to post this on the actual day – though I sent him home from our celebration on Saturday with leftover cake, scout cookies and a huge batch of gnocchi, so don’t worry, celebrations were had – a little belated birthday love goes a long way.
I think I inherited my carrot cake addiction from my dad. Although I don’t think it’s his favorite (at least not when my mom’s cherry pie is an option), suffice it to say he’s a big fan and/or very, very supportive of and agreeable to my cake-eating and -baking whims. However, it’s rare that you find a carrot cake without ginger in it, which is a deal breaker for him, so I suspect that, in his opinion, most carrot cakes leave room for improvement. That’s why you will notice a distinct lack of ginger in the ingredient list – though not, I assure you, in the taste of the cake. Lots of people have tasted this and not a single one has said “um I love it, but where’s the ginger”. True story. Yet it still feels a little bit like an act of rebellion. So, maybe this cake is so “risky!”, “audacious!”, and/or “mind-blowingly creative!” after all in its bold rejection of ginger. Or maybe I am totally kidding and proudly holding up this cake as an example of a classic that is anything but boring.
Grain-Free Carrot Cake
Experience all of the things you love about carrot cake, but in a paleo-friendly way! This grain-free carrot cake is gluten-free and refined-sugar-free too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 6 Tablespoons tapioca flour,, plus more for the pans
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup granulated monk fruit sweetener , or granulated stevia
- 2 cups shredded carrots,, gently packed
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped pineapple,, frozen, defrosted and drained
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 large eggs,, beaten
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Your favorite frosting, (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour (using tapioca flour) two 6" round cake pans. Turn over and tap out the excess flour. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, spices, salt, baking soda and sweetener. Then mix in the carrots, walnuts, pineapple and raisins to combine. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the wet (egg) mixture into the dry (flours) mixture and stir until totally combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure no dry mixture is left behind.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the tops are dark golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 3-5 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- I used frozen pineapple, but you may be able to substitute fresh or canned (drained). I can't promise that the moisture content is the same, so you may need to slightly adjust your baking time.
- If you'd like to use coconut sugar or granulated honey in place of the monk fruit or stevia, you may want to double the amount used, since the latter two options are not as sweet, by volume, as the former.
- Frosting is up to you, but I used whipped coconut cream for the frosting here. I also recommend Simple Mills vanilla frosting.
- If you have trouble getting your cakes out of the pans cleanly, try running a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. If you invert it, it should then just pop right out of the pan.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Yield: 2 x 6" round cakes
- This recipe will also yield one 8" or 9" round cake, but you may need to adjust the baking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2249Saturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 654mgSodium: 3382mgCarbohydrates: 193gFiber: 46gSugar: 29gProtein: 56g
June Burns says
I totally agree–sometimes a simple classic recipe is best. Like this cake. It looks amazing, love the use of almond flour–I’m sure that works really well flavor-wise too! 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
The almond flour is great because it doesn’t taste almond-y, but the texture is soft and moist and PERFECT!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
This cake is freaking gorgeous!! I love all things carrot cake!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you, Cathleen!!
Joanne says
Um, there is EVERYTHING special about carrot cake, especially one as adorable as this! I could never get tired of it.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Me either, if I’m honest! 🙂
Zainab says
First of all I just love your dedication to creating grain free recipes…I can only imagine how much work goes into the testing. And I so agree with you, it seems as if people have forgotten about the classics when it comes to food blogging. Everyone wants the next great combo or mashup, but I’ve been enjoying just going back to those recipes I make over and over again in my kitchen. The classics..nothing beats them like this crazy good looking carrot cake!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Aw, thank you so much, Zainab! While you’re right – it is a lot of work – it is definitely a labor of love (and minor obsession) and necessity. If the alternative is living without carrot cake, I’d much rather go to the trouble of figuring out how to make it grain free! The upside is that after all the hassle, I am left with a recipe that, like you said, can (and will) be used again and again in my kitchen! 🙂
Christina @ Bake with Christina says
Wow, that carrot cake looks so amazingly perfect!! So moist and flavorful looking! 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Christina! It sure was!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
This looks delicious, Nora! My fiancé is all about the carrot cake and I know he would love this.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Perfect! I hope you both enjoy this, Becky!
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Cheers to the return of the classics!!! Love carrot cake and yours is BEAUTIFUL!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you, Lindsay!!
Monica says
Happy belated birthday to your father! Simple and classy is the way to go, and certainly not boring in the slightest (: The cake looks absolutely scrumptious!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Monica! And thanks from my Dad too!
Erika says
I made this last night!! (Well, I halved the recipe and baked it in two mini-loaf pans. Worked perfectly!) And OMG the texture. So plush. So great. Totally one of those this-must-be-cheating recipes…but it’s not! My only critique I blame on the Monk Fruit sweetener I used…it definitely had that sort of chemical-y sweetener taste to it, but I’m sure that could be remedied if I just used sugar. I just can’t seem to find a good recipe that covers up that funky Monk Fruit taste! Do you have any suggestions? At least the taste sort of mellowed as time went on…or maybe I just got used to it 😉 In any case, thanks for a fabulous recipe!!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Oh little carrot loaves sound adorable! Note to self 🙂
I love reviews/critiques!! Ok so I don’t know what kind you used, but often these no-calorie sweeteners have this kind of weird aftertaste because of whatever substance is used to make them granulated and/or shelf stable (it varies by brand, but many use something that has kind of a bitter or sour aftertaste that comes off as very fake and chemical-y). I used Norbu, and that’s exactly why I like it, because there’s no aftertaste or other effect on the finished product. You can definitely swap in regular, brown sugar or coconut sugar (I wouldn’t recommend raw though because it won’t dissolve all the way and will make your cake crunchy!) and that should solve it!
Erika says
Ah, good to know! I have a whole bag of Monk Fruit sweetener that I’ve been trying to use up, and that’s what I used. I’ll have to look for Norbu. Have you ever used Xylitol? I also have a small bag of that to use up…
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Oh man, that sucks! I am sorry your monk fruit sweetener didn’t work for you. Try using it in something with dutch processed cocoa powder – the strong flavor will cover up the bitterness of the sweetener! I have never used xylitol, actually, because I’ve read some kind of alarming reports about potential health consequences. Who knows what’s right or wrong these days, so absolutely no judgement is implied, but I just choose to avoid it 🙂 If you do give it a shot, let me know how it goes!! PS: Thank you SO much for sharing on Facebook. Seeing that totally made my day!
Gail says
Xylitol can have a laxative effect. Date sugar works well with no after taste. Just saw this recipe. Haven’t tried yet.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
This recipe doesn’t call for Xylitol.
Jody says
I am not of fan of either pineapple or raisins in my carrot cake. Can you think of any adjustments I should make to the recipe when leaving them out?
Thank you got posting this recipe. I am so happy to find one that I have all the ingredients I alreadt have on hand and looks like it my ideal.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Jody! You can definitely leave the raisins out with no problm, but since the pineapple is such an important source of bulk and moisture, you’ll have to replace them with something. My recommendation would be to make up for them by replacing them with additional shredded carrot. To be honest, though, I don’t know if this will be the right amount of moisture and sweetness, so you may need to taste the batter and add some milk (whatever you prefer) if it seems to dry (it will be a thick batter, but a batter nonetheless – if it’s too dough-like, it needs more moisture), and possible sweetness. You may be able to make up any missing sweetness AND moisture by adding honey – most likely a few Tablespoons – in addition to some extra carrot. Let me know how it goes!
Lin says
This recipe looks delicious! Is there a nutrition break down for 1 serving? Thank you.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Lin! I’m so sorry but I don’t typically calculate the nutrition info for my recipes. I realize it is important for some people for health and medical purposes, so I would recommend using a tool like MyFitnessPal to calculate the info you need. I hope that helps!
Susan Gertz says
Could honey be used as a sweetener? I know it changes the liquid balance. Or half honey half stevia?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Susan! I wouldn’t recommend using honey (or maple syrup) here instead of stevia because, as you said, that affects the moisture content of the batter. I’d hate for you to end up with a soggy cake!
Megan says
So on the topic of swapping out sugars, what do you think about coconut sugar? I love maple syrup, but I read the last comment 🙂
I am also a huge carrot cake fan. Right now that is all I can think about, man I want to go home and bake!! Only 5 more hours 😛
Cheers,
Megan
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Megan! I love coconut sugar! It has a lower glycemic index than white/table sugar but behaves very similarly. That being said it does behave a little differently than stevia or monk fruit so if you’re planning to replace the monk fruit sweetener in this recipe, I have two recommendations:
(1) Add about 50% more than the recipe calls for. So in this case, go with 3/4 of a cup, taste, and add a little more if you want.
(2) Be a little bit flexible with the baking time. You may need to add a bit more time (5 minutes or so, maybe a few more) because there is a little more moisture in coconut sugar than in granulated monk fruit sweetener. I would definitely not use maple syrup in this recipe, unfortunately!
I’d love to know how it goes. Happy baking!! Only 3 more hours now! 🙂
Jessica says
Does coconut oil work for the oil ? Just wondering what kind of oil you used.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Coconut oil would work but an oil that is liquid at room temperature produces the most moist, soft cake. I like avocado oil!
Jessica says
Also I can only have nuts if they are ground into a flour so not sure what I should do about the walnuts?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
You can leave them out!
Risa says
I’m so impressed with this recipe! So many times almond flour alone yields a wet end result, but the coconut flour really absorbs the moisture from the carrots. I didn’t have pineapple, I used 1/2 cup coconut sugar and about two tbsp. Maple syrup to make up for the pineapple. They turned out beautiful! Also I made a frosting for the first time with coconut sugar that I put in vitamix to powder, using butter and a little cream to yield a beautiful tasty frosting, just a little goes s long way.
A lot healthier than classic version, it works!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Dorota says
Hello! Will this work with flax eggs?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t guarantee it will work.
Meert says
Hello! Is the whole cake 2k calories? Or is it each slice? I’m baking this cake at home, hope it turns out tasty as I’m not the best cook in the world 🥲❤️
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hello! That looks like a glitch in the software that calculates the nutrition info. The whole cake is 2k calories!