Wifey and I had a slice of carrot cake at a cafe the other day, and have been wanting more since. Carrot cake shouldn’t be too bad for you right?
Well, looking at what goes into one normally, it’s not that brilliant really. A carrot cake normally has eggs in it to start with, so automatically we’ve got a good dose of cholesterol in there without considering anything else.
So I went on a hunt for a healthy carrot cake recipe. I found this one on Love and Lemons and decided to give it a try. It is a vegan, gluten-free, and lactose free carrot cake, so it should cater to most diets, and I can attest to how good it tastes as well.
I adapted it based on the ingredients I had on hand and thought that the overall result was very enjoyable and adds a strong nutty flavour to the cake. Give it a try.
Vegan, Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Nut Frosting
2015-11-07 19:05:14
Serves 12
A surprisingly nutty carrot cake that is not only quite good for you, but is also gluten-free and vegan.
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
135g
Servings
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 407
Calories from Fat 195
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23g
36%
Saturated Fat 11g
54%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 422mg
18%
Total Carbohydrates 49g
16%
Dietary Fiber 3g
14%
Sugars 23g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A
61%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
15%
Iron
9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Cake Ingredients
- 1.25 cups rice flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup unrefined dark brown cane sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 cups grated carrots (approx. 2 medium carrots)
Frosting Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup walnuts (toasted)
Cake Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c / 350°f and grease a spring form pan or similar sized baking pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together the apple sauce, almond milk, vanilla, sugar and coconut oil.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix together until a thick mixture has formed.
- Grate the carrots if you haven't already.
- Fold the carrots in with the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour the mixture into your spring form pan or baking pan and spread it out so you have an even surface. The mixture can quite thick.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cake cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Directions
- Fill a large saucepan with water and put on to boil.
- Add the macadamia nuts and cashews to the water and boil for approximately 30 minutes until they are swollen and soft.
- Drain the nuts and rinse with cold water.
- Put the nuts, almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice and salt into a high spend blender or food processor.
- Process the mixture until everything is ground and forms a thick, lumpy looking paste.
- Taste and add more maple syrup or lemon juice to taste - maple syrup for sweetness or lemon juice for tang.
- Blend until most lumps are gone and you have a very smooth paste.
- Chill the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes so that it can firm up.
- Ensure the cake has cooled and then spread the frosting on your cake.
Hubby tip #1
- If you are frosting your cake, begin boiling your macadamia and cashew nuts before you start mixing ingredients for your cake. This way the nuts will be boiled and ready to process when you put your cake in the oven. This has the flow on effect of meaning you can make the frosting while the cake is in the oven and the frosting will have time to cool in the fridge while the cake is baking and cooling.
Hubby tip #2
- Store it in the fridge, while there is nothing in the cake that will go off quickly, I found the nut frosting does start to grow mould quite fast if not stored in the fridge.
Adapted from Love and Lemons
Adapted from Love and Lemons
Hubby Cooks https://hubbycooks.com/
