Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting
This cake came to be around my 41st birthday. I wanted something super tasty and satisfying, and, boy, does it deliver. What a way to ring in 41!
The magical combination of fiber + fat + protein = satiety
Finding that magical combination of fiber, fat and protein in dessert form is not an easy task. Baking with natural almond flour (not the refined yellow one, friends, but the brown one that looks like ground up almond skins) along with coconut flour, coconut flakes, carrots, and nuts helps this cake go the distance.
I primarily use oat flour and almond meal in my gluten-free baking, mostly because they’re both easy to make on the spot in a food processor because my kitchen is always stocked with rolled oats and almonds. Almond meal is particularly amazing because it is so rich in fat and protein (not to mention calcium, magnesium, and potassium), so it anchors your appetite with less volume.
If you’re buying almond flour, opt for unblanched natural almond flour or almond meal, which is the whole almond ground up, giving it a brown color and a coarser grind. Blanched almond flour has the fiber-rich skins removed, making it more refined and light yellow in color. I store fragile nut flours such as almond flour in the refrigerator or freezer for freshness.
And, remember, fat is not the enemy - it’s a tool we use to provide flavor and satiation, so that you can have one slice of this cake and really feel like you’ve given yourself a treat.
Serves 16 amazing friends
Ingredients
2 ½ cups packed natural almond flour (like Bob’s Red Mill)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large organic eggs, at room temperature
½ cup grade A dark maple syrup
½ cup drippy tahini or drippy cashew butter
1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted and cooled coconut oil
3 cups shredded carrots
½ cup chopped raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
For the frosting
½ cup salted organic butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened plant milk
For the topping
Extra walnuts or pecans and shredded coconut
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line bottom of three 6-ince round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and sides of pan with avocado oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix together the room temperature eggs, maple syrup, tahini and vanilla until smooth. Then slowly add the melted and cooled coconut oil and carrots until well combined.
4. Add the try ingredients in and mix until well combined. Stir in raisins and nuts.
5. Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth out tops with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the 8-inch pans or 30-40 minutes in the 6-inch pans. Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
6. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting (otherwise your buttercream will melt).
7. Make the frosting by adding the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and plant milk to a bowl and beating with an electric mixer or using a stand mixer. Beat for approximately 2 minutes until fluffy and well combined.
8. Cut the cakes in half so that you have either 4 layers or 6 layers. Add a layer of frosting between each layer, ending with a layer on the top. No need to frost the sides of the cake. Decorate with nuts and shredded coconut. Cake will stay fresh in the fridge for 5 days if covered.
