Carrot cake has to be up there on the top tier of cakes, along with chocolate fudge cake and lemon drizzle. But this is Healthy Carrot Cake. It's next level! A light and moist cake, with all the delicious flavour, with a few lighter swaps.
You would presume that as it has carrot in it, it is basically a health food but sadly not! But, with a few swaps, such as using a granulated sweetener and a light frosting in this recipe you can have yourself a healthier and lower calorie carrot cake that doesn't sacrifice on taste.
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Why should you try it?
- Less than 200 calories per portion
- Kids will love this
- Good way to get some vegetables into your diet
- Can be frozen
What you will need
Step by step
One: Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F. In a bowl, add the flour, pecans, Hermesetas, raisins, orange zest, salt, baking soda and all spice and mix well.
Two: In a separate bowl, add the carrot, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Three: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Four: Grease a 10 inch spring form tin and pour in the mixture. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Five: Whilst the cake is cooking, make the icing by mixing together the yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla.
Six: Remove the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool fully.
Seven: When the cake is completely cooled, add the icing and sprinkle on the orange zest and pecans.
How is this healthy?
The thing about healthier versions of our favourite cakes is that they tend to be really dry and disappointing. This cake is neither. It's a really moist and delicious carrot cake that has been lightened up, as it has no butter or cream in it and a few other lighter swaps - such as using sweetener.
Well, you know we are all about mental health here, and a little bit of what you fancy in moderation is good for that. But, as well as this cake having vegetables in it, there is no butter or cream in it either. Not that those ingredients are unhealthy in themselves, but we have made some swaps that have extra benefits or lower in calories. We also skipped the cream cheese frosting for a fat free yogurt frosting.
Carrot cake icing
Let's talk about the icing of this cake for a minute. I could eat the "icing" out of the bowl with a spoon and to be honest, I did. It is that good, but so much healthier than regular butter cream or cream cheese frosting. It's made with yogurt! A little bit of maple syrup for taste and some orange zest and you have yourself and epic frosting/icing.
The cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the allspice in this cake give it a real Christmas feel to it, so I think this is going to be made a lot more in a few months time. But it's never too early for healthy Christmas baking.
Carrot cake muffins
We have made this in to a full cake, but they work really well as muffins too. Just divide the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for around 20 minutes until the muffins have risen and set.
FAQs
Keep the cake in an airtight container and it will last for 2-3 days.
Carrot cake actually freezes really well, so that means portion control is easy. Just put a slice in a container and pop it in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours.
We haven't tried it ourselves, but you could try swapping the eggs for flax eggs and using a dairy free yoghurt and milk too.
No, almond flour would make this really dense. If you are looking to make this gluten free, then there are lots of great gluten free carrot cake recipes out there.
Extra tips
- Turn these in to muffins instead so they are easier for little hands to eat. Just put the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add some extra vegetables in swapping half the carrot for courgette (zucchini). You will need to squeeze out the excess liquid first.
- We have added pecans, but you could keep it classic and use walnuts instead.
- Raisins add a nice extra touch of sweetness and texture to the cake, but you could use other dried fruit too. Try dried cherries or cranberries to mix it up a bit.
More cake recipes
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Recipe
Healthy Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 250 g (2 cups) Plain flour
- 8 Pecans - halved
- 2 tablespoon Orange zest
- 1 Carrot - grated
- 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon Mixed spice
- 50 g (0.33 cups) Raisins
- 6 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) Granulated sweetener
- 4 Eggs
- 80 ml (0.33 cups) Skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- A few pecans and a bit of orange zest for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 3.
- In a bowl, add 250 g Plain flour, 8 Pecans, 10 g Granulated sweetener, 50 g Raisins, 2 tablespoon Orange zest, 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt, 1 teaspoon Baking soda and 0.5 teaspoon Mixed spice and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, add 1 Carrot, 6 tablespoon Coconut oil, 4 Eggs, 80 ml Skimmed milk and 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Grease a 10 inch spring form tin and pour in the mixture. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Whilst the cake is cooking, make the icing by mixing together 6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon Maple syrup and 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract.
- Remove the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool fully.
- When the cake is completely cooled, add the icing and sprinkle on A few pecans and a bit of orange zest for decorating.
Notes
- Turn these in to muffins instead so they are easier for little hands to eat. Just put the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add some extra vegetables in swapping half the carrot for courgette (zucchini). You will need to squeeze out the excess liquid first.
- We have added pecans, but you could keep it classic and use walnuts instead.
- Raisins add a nice extra touch of sweetness and texture to the cake, but you could use other dried fruit too. Try dried cherries or cranberries to mix it up a bit.
Nutritional Information
[1] Blaak EE et al. (2012) Obes Rev 13: 923-984.
[2] www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-artificial-sweeteners.aspx
Abi
very amazing healthy recipe of my favourite cake
Jeanne Horak-Druiff
That looks fantastic! I am a massive fan of carrot cake and chose it over fruitcake for my wedding :)
Lauren @ ihadabiglunch
I can't believe you hadn't had carrot cake before! It's by FAR one of my favorite desserts! But it's so, so unhealthy - this is an awesome alternative, thanks!
Breige
Oh wow!! I'll have to give this a go, I love carrot cake!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext
I've been looking for a healthier carrot cake recipe to try for ages now! My favourite cake! Definitely going to try out your recipe with the sweetener too!
Jayda
Oh goodness, this looks amazing. I LOVE carrot cake...one of my favourite desserts ever!!
Matt @ Runner Savvy
This looks awesome!
Tamzin
This sounds so good and I am pretty sure it would make my boyfriends day if I made it he loves carrot cake and we are trying to save some calories, so the sweetener sounds ideal.
Elizabeth
Oh this does sound rather lovely, but then again I am a fan of carrot cake. :)
Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie
Thank you sooo much for posting this recipe! I love carrot cake, but sadly it's not the healthiest thing ever (despite all the carrots). Using Greek yogurt for the frosting? Brilliant!
Lauren
I hope you had a lovely time away! This cake looks absolutely amazing!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
Yum! I love a good carrot cake. Even better when it's been healthified too. :-)
jill conyers
I haven't had carrot cake in forever! Time to change that :)
Lucy
This is such a pretty cake. It sounds really christmasy too.
Jacqueline Meldrum
It looks wonderful Dannii. I like you didn't like, or thought I didn't like carrot cake until I made my own with lot of lovely spices.
Ruby @ Ruby Red Apron
Yum! What an amazing recipe. Looks delicious and pretty! I love carrot cake!
GiGi Eats
HOLY MOLY - this truly is a healthy carrot cake!! You amaze me!
Tabbi
I'd love a lighter German chocolate cake, with the traditional coconut-pecan caramel-y icing. It was my birthday cake every year! Even as a kid I preferred it to the standard buttercream icing.
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen
Wow this carrot cake looks so delicious and yummy! I am going to have to try this soon ;-)
Cailee
YUM!! This looks delicious!! What a healthy, and delicious recipe!! Great job girl!! I could go for a slice right now!!