This carrot cake is full of warm and wonderful cinnamon and nutmeg. Not being able to eat gluten means that I struggle to find products or recipes that are light and fluffy. This cake did it for me. It is the perfect carrot cake for those with food allergies or who just want a healthier option. The cream cheese frosting can be substituted for whatever you like. For me, carrot cake isn’t carrot cake unless it has cream cheese frosting.

You will need:

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat or gluten free flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon (or more, if you like!)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I used double cream, but any yogurt will do the job)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp sweetener of your choice – I recommend creme stevia (Optional)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 cups freshly grated carrots

For the frosting:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 tsp sweetener of your choice – I recommend creme stevia (Optional)
• Shredded coconut (for the top) (Optional)

Let’s get baking!

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c. Cut two 9”-round circles out of baking paper to fit inside two 9”-round cake pans. Coat the two 9”-round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Press one baking paper circle into the bottom of each cake pan, and lightly coat the baking paper with nonstick cooking spray.

   

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

   

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain.

   

4. Mix in the maple syrup and stevia.

   

5. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)

   

6. Gently fold in the carrots.

   

7. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes, or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting, peeling off the baking paper, and transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

   

8. To prepare the frosting, add the Greek yogurt, Greek yogurt cream cheese, and stevia to a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

   

9. Now for the fun bit! To assemble the cake, spread a generous dollop of frosting on top of one of the cake layers. Place the second layer on top and put the rest of the frosting on top!

   

10. Top with shredded coconut or whatever you desire!

    

    TIPS:

    Cut off the tops of the cake if it is too topsy-turvey.
    Make sure your carrots aren’t too chunky – they must be small enough so that they will soften while being baked.
    Feel free to add raisins, walnuts or coconut.
    Don’t add items that will add liquid t the cake – it will cause it to collapse and make it very dense.The whole wheat flour can be substituted with white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour.
    Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup.
    If you prefer to omit the vanilla crème stevia from the carrot cake batter, you may replace it with an additional ½ cup of pure maple syrup and reduce the milk to 6 tablespoons. However, I do not recommend substituting anything for the vanilla crème stevia in the frosting. Other sweeteners will make the frosting too runny, and it won’t stay put once spread onto the cake.