This is the best healthy low sugar carrot cake made with fresh carrots, warm sweet spices and a vegan cream cheese frosting. The moist gluten-free crumb has no dairy, no refined sugar and the perfect level of sweetness.
⅓cup(86 grams) tahini (slightly runny) or nut butter
⅓cup(72 grams) coconut oil, melted and cooled
¼cup(60 grams) unsweetened almond milk
1teaspoonvanilla extract
3cups(260 grams) shredded carrots
Dry ingredients:
2cups(192 grams) almond flour (blanched, super fine)
½cup(64 grams) coconut flour
½cup(27 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
1teaspoonbaking soda
1tablespoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
½teaspoonground ginger
½teaspoonfine sea salt
Optional:
½cupchopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
½cupdried fruit (raisins, currents)
Frosting:
2cups(280 grams) raw cashews (soaked in water for one hour or more, drained and rinsed)
½cup(120 grams) full-fat coconut milk
⅓cup(104 grams) pure maple syrup
2teaspoonsfresh lemon juice
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonground ginger
⅛teaspoonfine sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of three 6-inch round baking pans with a traced and cut-out round of parchment paper. If you wish, you can also cut out 2-inch parchment strips and line the walls of the pan. Grease bottoms and sides of pans and parchment with coconut oil. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk until well mixed and slightly fluffy. Add maple syrup, tahini, coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.
Add dry ingredients: Add almond flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Stir until combine. Fold in shredded carrots and nuts or raisins if using.
Fill pans and bake: Divide batter evenly between baking pans. Bake for 20-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, or with a few small crumbs. If using two 8-inch pans, bake for 18-25 minutes.
Cool on rack: Cool cakes completely on a wire rack before removing from pans or frosting.
Prepare frosting: Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Add cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, ginger and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Frost cake: Frost the cake by adding a dollop of frosting to the top of the first cake, smooth out and add the second cake on top. Repeat with the second and third cake. Then frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Notes
If the tahini is fairly solid, warming a little will make it easier to mix. Cool before using.
The cake can remain on the counter for the day but then will need to be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cover well to maintain freshness.