3. CARROT CAKE
The carrot cake wasn’t one of my favorites growing up. I’ve always been a chocolate cake lover (and it’s still number one in my heart), and I wasn’t overly fond of eating baked goods with chopped nuts in them. But some of my tastes and preferences have adapted over the years, and carrot cake has grown on me as an adult. The cake isn’t quite as sweet as others but paired with a delicious cream cheese icing; it becomes a rich indulgence. When I thought ahead to recipes I wanted to create for spring, I knew a carrot cake needed to be on the list in time for Easter. It’s full of carrots, so it has to fit well with Paleo, right?
I made this cake to be paired with cream cheese icing. I tolerate dairy just fine in moderation, and cream cheese icing simply belongs with a carrot cake. My version is a rich indulgence that calls for cream cheese and grass-fed butter, but it’s still free of refined/processed sugars. It’s oh so worth it for dairy eaters. However, I know that not everyone has that option, so I tried to come up with a dairy-free icing that still tasted like cream cheese. After a few tries, I think I’ve come up with something that’s a good substitute, although it’s not quite the same. I’ve included both options in this post so you can make the choice that works best for you.
This cake is a great one to make for non-Paleo or gluten-free friends. They’ll likely be very surprised that it’s grain-free and doesn’t have any processed sugars!
INGREDIENTS
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup coconut flour sifted
- ⅔ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ⅔ cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 16 ounces organic cream cheese, softened (I do recommend using organic dairy products, if possible)
- 1 cup grass-fed butter, softened
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dairy-Free Cashew Cream Icing
- 1½ cups raw cashews
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup palm shortening
- ½ cup maple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease the sides of 2 9-inch cake pan with coconut oil and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended.
- Combine the flours, sea salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add a little at a time into the liquid mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pecans, and raisins.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Icing
- To make the icing, cream together the cream cheese and butter.
- Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Dairy-Free Cashew Cream Icing
- Soak raw cashews in water for 5-8 hours. Drain.
- Add the cashews to a food processor and pulse until it resembles a soft paste. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Yum!