Healthy Carrot Cake with Cashew icing and Maple Caramel
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Healthy Carrot Cake with Cashew Frosting and Maple Caramel | Dairy-Free, Low Sugar, Vegan + GF Options

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Canadian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12

This healthy yet delicious cake will win you over! Delicious flavours, and an oozy maple caramel sauce on top, what's not to love! DF, Vegan + GF Options

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots (approx. 350 g), washed, trimmed
  • 3/4 cup rice milk

Dry

  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 cup spelt flour (for gluten-free option, use 3/4 cup brown rice flour + 1/4 cup buckwheat flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup organic sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • a pinch of ginger powder
  • a pinch of nutmeg powder
  • a pinch of cloves powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (only for gluten-free and/or vegan option)

Wet

  • 2 organic free-range eggs (or vegan option: mix 2 Tbsp chia seeds with 1/3 cup water, mix really well for 10 seconds, then wait 5 minutes before using)
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup rice milk or almond milk
  • 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (only for gluten-free and/or vegan option)

Extras

  • 3/4 cup raw walnuts
  • 1 carrot peeled, grated

Icing

  • 2 cups raw cashews soaked for 2-3 hours in filtered water (or spring water)
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • 2 cups organic icing sugar

Caramel

  • 1 cup maple syrup medium grade works best
  • 2 Tbsp rice milk (or nut milk)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper (cut to size) and oiling the sides with a tiny bit of olive oil. I used 3 x 6.5" diameter pans, but 2 x 9" diameter pans would also work. If you only have 1 pan of 9" diameter, then you'll need to cook it longer and cut it in half after it's cooled down, in order to have 2 layers.
  2. In a high powered blender, blend the first 2 ingredients (carrots and rice milk) until smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together, using a whisk (I whisk the eggs first and then add the rest).
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture bowl, and mix well.
  6. Add the grated carrot, and 1/2 cup of walnuts. Mix.
  7. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake pan(s), dividing it equally in each pan (if using more than 1). Give it a little shake or use a spatula to level the top, if needed.
  8. Bake in a 350F oven for 45-55 minutes, or more if you pans are bigger. Keep an eye on it after 55 minutes and test it every 5-10 minutes after that.
  9. Once golden on top and fully cooked, remove from oven and let cool down for 10-15 minutes before flipping over a cooling rack to remove the pan(s), and let cool down completely, at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.
  10. To prepare the cashew icing: Put all the ingredients for the cashew icing, except the icing sugar, into a high powered blender or food processor, and blend until smooth and creamy.
  11. Transfer the cashew mixture into a mixing bowl, and add the icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix really well with a rubber spatula (I recommend putting the icing sugar through a sieve, to avoid clumps).
  12. Set aside until the cake is completely cooled down. You can keep it in the fridge, but you'll need to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before using.
  13. To prepare the caramel, simply put all the ingredients, except the salt, into a small pan over medium heat.
  14. Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer (uncovered) for about 20-30 minutes, mixing every so often.
  15. Add the salt, mix well, remove from the heat, and let cool down for at least an hour or two.
  16. To assemble the cake:
  17. Put one layer down on a plate, spread some of the cashew icing on top (if you have 3 layers, make sure you approximately divide your icing in 3 or 4, in order to have enough for each layer, including the top and sides of the cake. If you only have 2 layers, then divide it in 2), then add the next layer and continue the same steps. Once finished, add icing to the sides too.
  18. Once your cake is finished icing, add 1/4 cup walnuts on top, and I'd recommend putting it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set, since the cashew icing is very soft.
  19. Drizzle the maple caramel just before serving.

Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 511kcal | Fat: 22g | Saturated fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 379mg | Carbohydrates: 72g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 48g | Protein: 8g | Vitamin A: 3435% | Vitamin C: 3.8% | Calcium: 88% | Iron: 2.6%