Here is a moist and delicious paleo almond flour carrot cake that you will love!!
Made with blanched almond flour and dairy-free cashew and coconut ''cream cheese'' frosting, this cake is perfect to serve on special occasions such as Easter, Mother's Day, birthdays, or to simply enjoy for breakfast or brunch.
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why you will love this recipe
- ❤️a great alternative - it is a great alternative, especially for those on a special diet. This gluten-free carrot cake recipe uses blanched almond flour and almond meal instead of regular wheat flour making it great for those with gluten sensitivities. It is also dairy-free and wheat-free.
- ❤️super moist - the grated carrots, orange juice, and coconut oil make this cake super juicy.
- ❤️spice - the spices make the carrot cake flavourful, and the walnuts add a wonderful crunch.
ingredients
- grated carrots.
- pure melted coconut oil - or use extra virgin olive oil.
- coconut cream - scoop out the top creamy part from a can of coconut milk (not the boxed kind).
- almond milk - or your preferred choice of plant milk, such as coconut milk.
- blanched almond flour.
- some almond meal.
- coconut sugar.
- eggs (separated into egg white and yolk).
- spices and condiments - nutmeg, cardamon, ground ginger and cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- leavening agents - baking powder and baking soda.
- nuts - some cashews, soaked for at least four hours. You will also require some chopped walnuts, to fold into the batter and to garnish.
- apple cider vinegar.
- other - grated rind of half of an orange and some orange juice.
how to make paleo carrot cake
Making the cake basically involves two steps namely; making the dairy-free coconut "cream cheese" frosting and preparing the gluten-free cake.
- Make the dairy-free frosting by grating the orange rind and setting aside. Scoop out the coconut cream from the can (reserve the water for use in recipes).
- Process the soaked and drained cashews, cinnamon, coconut sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the orange rind, mix, and chill.
- For the cake, grease two 18cm (7-inch) cake tins and juice half an orange, removing seeds. Preheat the oven.
- Whip egg whites to medium peaks and mix with almond milk, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut oil, grated carrots, remaining orange rind, and orange juice. Add egg yolks and whisk on medium.
- Separately, combine dry ingredients, then gently incorporate into the wet mix. Fold in chopped walnuts, reserving some for garnish.
- Divide the mixture into halves, transfer to the two baking tins, and bake until done.
- Assemble the cake by layering and frosting the cooled cakes, optionally applying frosting on the sides.
- Garnish with remaining walnuts (and grated carrots if desired) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
💡Quick tip: Store the carrot cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow all the flavors to come together. The cake tastes even better after one day! Also, the coconut frosting sits better when chilled so make sure to transfer any remaining cake to the fridge, as soon as possible.
variations
- honey and maple syrup are great paleo-friendly sweeteners that you can use, in place of coconut sugar.
- make this carrot cake vegan by replacing the eggs with flax egg.
- add half a cup of diced pineapple or applesauce for extra sweetness.
- make this recipe low-carb by using a suitable keto-friendly sweetener.
useful tips
- use a fine grater, but do not grate lengthwise as you will end up with a stringy cake. Rather, grate along the circumference or width.
- start with the cashew and coconut frosting and make sure to give it enough time to set in the refrigerator, as this allows to give it a better structure.
- once baked, allow the carrot cake to cool completely, before removing it from the tin.
refregeration and freezing
This cake tastes even better one day after baking as this allows the flavors to set in.
It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be frozen for up to 4 months. Just be sure to keep it in a suitable airtight container.
more tasty recipes featuring carrots for you to try!
Updated on March 5th, 2024: Certain parts of this recipe have been simplified to enhance clarity and readability.
📖 Recipe
Paleo Carrot Cake with Almond Flour
Moist, delicious, gluten-free, and paleo carrot cake with almond flour, a coconut "cream cheese" frosting, and walnuts.
Video
Equipment
a whisk and wooden spoons or spatula
food processor or powerful blender
two 18 cm (7-inch cake pans)
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated carrots
- ½ cup cup pure melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 cups almond flour blanched
- ½ cup almond meal
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup orange juice (extracted from half of an orange)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts plus 2 tablespoon to use as topping
- grated rind of half of an orange
PALEO CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1½ cups cashews (soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours and with the water drained off)
- cream from one can of coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup cup coconut sugar (or alternatively maple syrup)
- grated rind of ½ an orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the paleo coconut cream cheese frosting
- Make the frosting: Clean and grate the entire orange rind, setting it aside. Scoop out the thick, creamy part of the coconut cream from the can, saving the water for other uses.
- Add coconut cream, drained soaked cashews, cinnamon, coconut sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to a food processor. Process until smooth. Mix in half the grated orange rind.
- Transfer to an air-tight container and place in the fridge so it sets.
Bake the Cake
- Grease the bottom and sides of two 18cm cake tins (7-inch cake tins) or line them with parchment paper.
- Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from one half, removing all seeds.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F / 175° C.
- Whisk egg whites in a bowl until medium peaks form. Mix in almond milk, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut oil, grated carrots, half the grated orange rind, and juice of half an orange.
- Gently add egg yolks and whisk on medium.
- In a bowl sift together almond flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom powder, nutmeg, and the ground ginger and cinnamon.
- Gently combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Fold in the chopped walnuts, reserving 2 tablespoons for the garnish.
- Divide the batter evenly between two baking tins. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let them cool on a rack before taking out of the tins.
- After cooling, spread a third of the frosting on one cake layer. Place the second layer on top and use the remaining frosting to cover it.
- Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top and refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The recipe calls for a lot of ingredients. I recommend you use all of them, it will be worth it in the end.
- Start with the cashew and coconut frosting and make sure to give it enough time to set in the refrigerator, as this gives it a better structure.
- Use a fine grater, but do not grate lengthwise as you will end up with a stringy cake. Rather, grate along the circumference or width.
- You can replace the coconut sugar in the recipe with honey or maple syrup.
- Once baked, allow the carrot cake to cool completely, before removing it from the tin.
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 30.5gProtein: 7.7gFat: 24.8gSaturated Fat: 10.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 103.5mgPotassium: 329.1mgFiber: 2.3gSugar: 23.5gVitamin A: 31.8IUVitamin C: 5.3mgCalcium: 85.2mgIron: 1.3mg
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