Easy Carrot Cake
This easy and lighter carrot cake is a guilt-free twist on a classic. Packed with wholesome ingredients and topped with a creamy, light frosting, it's the perfect dessert!
Servings: 9 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 9-inch springform pan (or a 9”-square baking pan) with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour with 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt.
- In a second bowl, whisk the 1 large egg with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons coconut oiland 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt.
- Add the wet ingredients over dry and whisk until incorporated and no visible lumps.
- Fold in the 2 cups freshly grated carrots. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the frosting. In a clean bowl, add all the ingredients for the frosting (8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) and whisk using an electric mixer until smooth. (you may make this step ahead and allow the frosting to set in the fridge beforehand).
- Once the cake is done, allow it to completely cool. Spread over the frosting, then refrigerate for 1 hour for the cream cheese topping to set.
- Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt into the cake.
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- Use freshly grated carrots—pre-packaged ones can be drier and affect the texture.
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- Use room temperature ingredients: Make sure your egg, coconut oil, and Greek yogurt are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smoother batter and a more evenly baked cake.
- Use an electric mixer to mix the frosting. If you do not have a mixer, you may whisk it using a whisk or spatula, as I did in my video.
- Note: In my video, I did add the shredded carrots in the wrong step. I was having a really bad headache and not focused at all. LOL. But it did work in the end and came out perfect.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg