For years I didn’t care for carrot cake. I assumed anything with vegetables in it wouldn’t taste good — how wrong I was. My tastes have changed since those picky days, and now I genuinely love carrot cake. It has become a staple in my spring baking rotation.
Now that I’m gluten-free, I worried my favorite carrot cake might lose its appeal. Fortunately it didn’t. This version is dense and pudding-like, full of chopped dried fruit, coconut, spices and finely diced carrots (I no longer bother shredding them).
I set out to make a healthier version of my go-to carrot cake: less oil and sugar, dairy-free, and gluten-free. To my surprise, my family — usually skeptical of my gluten-free experiments — couldn’t tell the difference. I replaced the usual GF flour mix with a combination of almond meal and coconut flour, which works well because the cake is very moist and the flavors meld together. I swapped canola for melted coconut oil to reduce processed oils, and replaced refined sugar with dark coconut sugar and pure maple syrup.
Carrot cake doesn’t need to be overly sweet because it’s finished with a rich cream cheese frosting. I used a coconut oil–based non-dairy cream cheese and non-dairy butter for this dairy-free version, though regular cream cheese and butter work fine if you’re not avoiding dairy.
I’m still refining a cashew- or almond-based cream frosting for those who prefer less-sweet frostings. If you want an alternative to powdered-sugar-heavy frostings, nut-based frostings are a good option.
This batter behaves differently than traditional wheat-based cake batter: it’s much thicker. The boiling water added at the end thins the batter and contributes extra moistness. The cake doesn’t rise dramatically; it stays roughly the same height as when you spread it into the pans, so allow a longer baking time. Handle the finished cake gently as it can be more prone to crumbling — not because it’s dry, but because there are no added gum stabilizers. Still, it keeps together well and tastes fantastic. You can also bake it in a 9- by 13-inch pan if you prefer. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, which is why the recipe includes extra boiling water.
If you substitute a different gluten-free flour for the coconut flour, results may vary. I noticed some recipes use three cups of almond meal with no additional liquid; that can work in other preparations, but this recipe is designed around the almond meal + coconut flour combination. Enjoy!
Healthier Grain-Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup pure maple sugar
- 5 large organic cage free eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely chopped or grated carrots
- 3/4 cup desiccated coconut or ground in a food processor
- 1 cup dried fruit we used raisins and dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese we used non-dairy
- 1 stick butter or non-dairy alternative
- 2 tablespoons pure maple sugar
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- toasted coconut for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper cut to fit.
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In a large bowl, sift together the almond meal, coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt and spices. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The mixture will be thick. Fold in the finely chopped carrots, desiccated coconut, dried fruit and pecans. Pour the boiling water in all at once and mix well. An electric mixer helps, but a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula works.
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Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (about 2 heaping cups per pan). Smooth the tops and bake 50–60 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the surface looks set. The cake will remain moist inside.
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Cool the cakes in the pans for 5–10 minutes. Run a thin knife around each edge, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
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Make the frosting: beat the cream cheese with the coconut oil (or butter), then add powdered sugar and maple sugar until you reach a spreadable but not runny consistency.
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Assemble the cake: place one layer on a cake plate and spread one-third of the frosting on top. Add the second layer, frost with another third, then top with the final layer and spread the remaining frosting. Garnish with toasted coconut and chill 30–60 minutes before slicing and serving.