Deliciously Healthy Carrot Cake Recipes

HEALTHY CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a 20 cm springform cake tin with baking paper. In a large bowl combine the carrots, almond meal, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Add the butter, syrup, eggs and vanilla, stir really well until combined. Transfer the cake batter into the prepared tin and place into the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cooked through. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely before releasing the springform and turning out the cake. Meanwhile, make the frosting! Place all the ingredients into your blender or food processor and whiz until smooth. Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting on top of the cake, sprinkle with extra walnuts and lemon rind! Cut slices and NOM NOM NOM!

HEALTHY CARROT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Step 1 - Place cashews into your high power blender (or food processor).
• Step 2 - Blend on high speed until a paste-like cashew cream begins to form. You'll need to scrape the sides of the blender a few times to get the mixture to form.
• Step 3 - Add the maple syrup, lemon juice and coconut oil. Blend until the cashews become creamier. Add water gradually and as little as possible. You want the cream frosting to loosen and become smooth and silky but you don't wan to dilute the flavors with water. How much water you need will vary (and will also depend on whether you pre-soaked your cashews).
• Step 1 - Place the diced carrots, almond meal, hazelnut meal, dates, dried apricots, and cinnamon into your food processor. Blitz until very well combine and forms a soft paste.
• Step 2 - Add coconut, dried pineapple, sultanas/raisins, and orange zest to the mixture in the food processor. Blitz very briefly until just combined. You want these ingredients to be less processed so that there's some texture variance in the finished cake (ie, you want some different sized "bits" in your cake).
• Use either two mini spring-form pans or a small spring-form pan.
• Step 1 - Press a layer of carrot cake mixture into the base of your pan. It should approx 2.5cm (1 inch) thick.
• Step 2 - Add a layer of cashew cream frosting.
• Step 3 Optional: Sprinkle dried fruits and nuts on the cashew cream frosting layer. I used a tropical fruit mix I had in the cupboard for the cakes in the photo. It added a lovely color, texture and even more flavor. Shredded or flaked coconut would also work well.
• Step 4 - Add another layer of carrot cake mixture onto of the cashew cream frosting (same thickness as your base layer). Smooth top of cake so it's even.
• Step 5 - For best results refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight). Place plastic wrap or a plate over the top of the cake to prevent it drying out in the fridge. If you're not refrigerating, move straight onto Step 6.
• Step 6 - Remove the cakes carefully from spring-form pans. The cakes will still be malleable so handle them gently.
• Step 7 - Top cakes with cashew cream frosting and decorate as you like.
• Step 8 - Slice with a sharp knife that's been heated under hot running water. This makes cutting the cake easier. Enjoy!

HEALTHIER CARROT CAKE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
• Beat together eggs, oil, white sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To make frosting: Combine butter, Neufchatel cheese, confectioner's sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread frosting over completely cooled cake.

DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add yogurt, carrot pulp, milk, maple syrup, apple pulp, dates, and egg. Mix with a wooden spoon until batter is blended and thick.
• Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

HEART HEALTHY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13" X 9" baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves, set aside.
• In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the sugar. Then slowly beat in the applesauce, buttermilk and vanilla.
• Using a spoon, stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Then stir in, one ingredient at a time, the crushed pineapple, carrots, walnuts and raisins.
• Spread mixture in prepared pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.