I can’t get over how amazing this grain-free carrot cake is! It has everything necessary to give you the whole carrot cake experience: soft, moist, and flavorful! Carrot cake is one of my top favorite cakes (ranking just below moist chocolate cake) and now I can have it while still being on a grain-free, low inflammation diet. This cake is super easy to make, has a wonderful texture, and an amazing taste! Grain-free carrot cake would make the perfect Easter dessert, or any occasion really! Carrots and Easter go together like bunnies and chicks, so go ahead and make this grain-free cake to celebrate!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
This grain-free carrot cake is a modern pioneer recipe, but cake definitely has heritage pioneer roots! From old fashioned johnny cakes to Mormon cakes to depression cakes, I don’t think even the early pioneers went without their cake!
I have always wanted to make a grain-free carrot cake. For one, I love carrot cake, and when I went on a low inflammation diet, I knew I had to find a way to have carrot cake. My mom also loves carrot cake. It used to be her traditional birthday cake request…. until my dairy-free chocolate pudding pie stole the limelight.
However, carrot cake still ranks up pretty high on the favorite dessert list. I just love the soft, moist texture and sweet flavor of carrot cake. What’s even better is when it is frosted with a cream cheese frosting!
Creating a modern pioneer, allergy-friendly version of carrot cake was my goal. I knew it had to be free of tree nuts, use gluten-free ingredients, contain no processed sugars, use grain-free flours, and be made with a healthy fat. The only problem that arose was the issue of creating a dairy-free cream cheese frosting… not using tree nuts.
However, nailing down the dairy-free cream cheese frosting was actually easier than anticipated thanks to Daiya. Daiya cream cheese spread was the perfect dairy-free, nut free cream cheese to make my cream cheese frosting with!
This carrot cake hits all my modern pioneer targets and more! It is…
- grain free- uses tapioca flour, coconut flour, and cassava flour
- tree nut free– no almond flour!
- gluten-free– certified GF flours, no corn
- dairy-free- uses coconut oil and Daiya cream cheese!
- all-natural sugar- contains maple syrup and unrefined coconut sugar
Is Carrot Cake Healthy?
Well…. that’s debatable, but I think that carrot cake is healthy! I mean, this cake uses healthy sweeteners and contains over two cups of carrots. If you have a big enough slice… I’m sure you get a serving of vegetables in. But all debating aside…
Carrots are fantastic for your health! Some may argue that they are not the healthiest vegetable due to the fact that are higher in sugar than some other vegetables. However, they only contain natural sugar, and, when eaten in moderation and combined with other vegetables, they can benefit your health!
Now, I am not going to say that this grain-free carrot cake provides you with all these health benefits just because it contains carrots! While it would be nice if one slice of carrot cake provided you with a serving of carrot, I’m not so sure we will stretch is that far.
Still, you’ve got to be getting at least some nutrition from the carrots, so I would still like to cover some of the health benefits that raw carrots provide for your health!
Benefits of Carrots:
- They help promote a healthy heart by reducing cholesterol levels and by containing coumarin.
- Carrots are antiseptic and antibacterial.
- They boost the immune system which helps you fight off disease.
- Carrots are a good source of fiber, which aids digestion, and are also a good source of vitamin C and an excellent source of vitamin A.
- Their beta-carotene content helps prevent cancer and promotes good eye health.
Not to mention carrots are a super easy vegetable to grow on the homestead! Carrots are one vegetable that we have had great success with in our poor-soil, shaded homestead garden. Homegrown carrots are the best!
Maybe carrots aren’t your thing. I know my dad doesn’t like carrots, so carrot cake isn’t a family dessert. For a dessert that the whole family enjoys, I like to make this grain-free moist chocolate cake or this grain-free vanilla cake!
Ingredient Guide & Recipe Tips
Keeping with the modern pioneer lifestyle, I tried to keep the ingredients in this carrot cake wholesome and simple. This cake contains a variety of grain-free flours to help give it a light, moist texture without making it dense.
It contains quite a few eggs to help with the texture, but the cake is not eggy at all. Here are few tips about the ingredients…
Recipe Guide:
- Grain free flours– I used tapioca flour, cassava flour, and coconut flour. I do not know if you could substitute other grain free flours for these flours or not (e.g. almond flour, tigernut flour) since I have not tested the recipe with different flours.
- Eggs- There are 4 eggs in this recipe and I would not advise trying to use an egg substitute or making a flax or chia eggs. The eggs give the cake structure and texture.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- The ACV in this grain-free carrot cake help activate the baking soda and make the cake rise nicely! The cake will flatten slightly after it comes out of the oven, but that prevents you from having to shave any off prior to layering and frosting the cake.
- Spices- The blend of cinnamon, ginger and clove in this cake give it a delicious flavor. You can feel free to customize the spices to your desired taste!
- Carrots- I used organic, raw carrots finely shredded in a food processor for this cake! Don’t forget to wash and peel the carrots first! About 5 medium size carrots will yield you enough shredded carrot for this recipe.
- Shredded Coconut- Instead of including tree nuts in my carrot cake, I used shredded coconut. It adds a nice texture, but can be omitted if you are sensitive to coconut.
If you want to go on a carrot cake kick this Easter season, make sure you check out this gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal or these gluten-free carrot cake muffins or these gluten-free carrot cake whoopie pies! They are all fantastic!
I love this moist, flavorful grain-free carrot cake! It will definitely be an Easter tradition in my house! This carrot cake is the perfect modern pioneer, allergy-friendly dessert! I hope you give this carrot cake a try, whether it be for your Easter celebration or just to make any day special with a cake!
Grain-free Carrot Cake (nut free)
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 4 large organic, free-range eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 T. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground organic cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground organic ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground organic clove
- 2 1/2 cups shredded organic carrots
- 6 T. shredded coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8 oz. containers Daiya cream cheese spread room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered coconut sugar
- 1 T. coconut milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease their sides with coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the shredded coconut. In another medium size mixing bowl, beat together all of the wet ingredients except for the shredded carrot.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the carrots and coconut. The batter should be moist but not too watery.
- Divide evenly between the two cake pans. Spread the batter out evenly in both pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans. Don't forget to remove the parchment paper from the bottom of each cake! Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
- For the frosting, first beat together the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until combined.
- Assemble and frost your double layered carrot cake. Decorate, slice, and enjoy!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- Nutiva coconut flour
- Nutiva coconut sugar
- Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
- Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
- Simply Organic vanilla extract
- Bob’s Red Mill shredded coconut
- Daiya cream cheese spread
- Nutiva extra virgin coconut oil
- Supplies: 9″ cake pans, Cuisinart food processor, unbleached parchment paper
I love the taste and texture of this grain-free carrot cake and I know you will too! It has a nice soft and moist texture. Not too dense, not too eggy, and not too coconutty! Full of grain-free flours, natural sweeteners, and a healthy oil, this cake is sure to be the highlight of any celebration.
Looking for more delicious and nutritious meals and recipes to fit into your healthy lifestyle? Or maybe you need some baking tips to get you started on working with these tricky and exotic sounding healthy baking ingredients? Become a modern pioneer with us and get recipes and tips delivered to your inbox on a weekly basis! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
by Alexa
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