Carrot Cake
You may have noticed a new little feature on the sidebar of this website –in computer programming terms it is called the “democracy poll.” Basically it is a survey that allows you to vote for the dish you would most like to see me post. The current competition is between Chocolate Cupcakes, Mango Chicken and “Candy” Bars, which by the way are winning. Go ahead, stop by and cast your vote for the recipe you would most like to see up here.
In other competition, my spring has been filled with baseball. As I have mentioned, I am coaching my son’s little league team and it is quite a hoot. We won again yesterday, though more important, the boys are playing as a team and have great spirit. It is somewhat amazing to see how focused 9 year olds can be and how supportive they are of each other. This coaching deal has been a real treat for me.
Speaking of treats, I find this to be the perfect time of year for carrot cake. It’s an ideal dessert for cookouts, picnics and graduation parties. Today’s post is for of one of my favorite readers, ~M. She requested carrot cake a while back and I post it now in honor of her recent graduation.
3 cups blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 eggs
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup grapeseed oil
3 cups carrots, grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
- In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, agave and oil
- Stir carrots, raisins and walnuts into wet ingredients
- Stir wet ingredients into dry
- Place batter into 2 well greased, round 9 Inch cake pans
- Bake at 325 for 35 minutes
- Cool to room temperature and spread with coconut cream frosting
- Serve
What occasions in your life call for a good carrot cake? And what memories does it bring back for you? Don’t be shy, let us in on it and leave a comment!
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Subscribe by Email to elanaspantry.com:Posted on May 20, 2008 in almond flour and desserts by Elana
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37 comments for the post “Carrot Cake”
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Dear Elana,
This looks absolutely amazing ! I will definitely try to make it. I also made your grain free granola, it is the best I ever had.
Anina
May 20th, 2008 1:22 pm
Elana, this looks so wonderful!! And I need my healthy treats! Thanks so much!
May 20th, 2008 2:32 pm
Carrot cake is my first love and greatest weakness. You’ve encouraged me to go and check out ingredients I’ve never used before - never even knew what they were. Tomorrow is agave nectar shopping. Thanks.
May 20th, 2008 8:45 pm
I remember having lots of carrot cake throughout childhood, as it is one of my mother’s favorite cakes. One year, I requested a Raw Carrot Cake, which was very good. Your GF carrot cake looks amazing… We are GF and have not really delved into the realm of cakes yet.. My birthday is coming up, this weekend actually, and I am going to have a GF Lemon cake with your Coconut frosting! Looking forward to it :) Thanks for sharing your recipes.
May 20th, 2008 9:30 pm
OH MY GOODNESS…YUM!!! I am meeting my Mother in NYC for a girls weekend. My husband will be left at home and I have an idea… what if I left his favorite cake of all time, a homemade carrot cake behind to keep him company? I have everything but the carrots and raisins… Once again, here I go. Thanks Elana for your inspiration.
May 21st, 2008 6:40 am
Delicious pictures once again — carrot cake is a family favorite and I’m always looking for alternative recipes and yours looks so yummy! is that the coconut frosting?
May 21st, 2008 6:52 am
Carrot cake always reminds me my sister because it’s her favorite! Though I’m sure she’s never had it be this healthy before - I can’t wait to try it out on her.
May 21st, 2008 11:16 am
Oh my goodness; this looks absolutely amazing! Yum! Carrot cake will now forever remind me of my engagement. Shortly after my (now) fiance proposed we went to a store called “World’s Best Carrot Cake” in Asheville, NC and bought one of their gluten-free carrot cakes. What a great way to celebrate :)
May 21st, 2008 12:08 pm
Anina -It’s been too long, hope you are well, was just asking Tara about you the other day and she reported your news to me :-) Much Love, E.
~M -Many apologies for the blacklisting; thanks for reporting all of the technical issues to me each time they occur! Hope you like this cake.
gizmar Happy agave shopping; let me know how this turns out for you.
Heather -HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Courtney -Have a great time in NYC and hope your husband enjoys the cake.
Nicole -Yes indeed, it is the coconut frosting, though I think this would also go very well with my cream cheese frosting.
Amy -If you do let me know how she likes it.
LIzzie -What a wonderful carrot cake story; thanks!
May 21st, 2008 8:30 pm
Guess what. I made the coconut frosting. It didnt turn out creamy and quite crunchy. I followed every step of your instructions and didnt skip a beat
May 23rd, 2008 7:10 am
Along with some morning coffee, I just had to get a slice of homemade carrot bread at my local coffee shop. I came home and spread the frosting. I was doubtful but it goes so well together! I have no hesitations on sharing this with a crowd.
May 23rd, 2008 8:05 am
Carrot cake is one of my favorites, and this one looks fantastic!
May 23rd, 2008 10:56 am
This cake looks fantastic. Carrot cake is my all time favorite and I’m always looking for new recipes.
Thanks!
May 23rd, 2008 5:51 pm
THANK YOU!! I just made your carrot cake complete with the white coconut frosting and brought it as the gluten-free alternative cake to a birthday party. It was a huge hit! It turned out to be the only cake at the party and I was shocked to see all the kids (and adults) gobbling it up. I left out the raisins and the walnuts because my kids won’t eat chunks- and the recipe was perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your hard work. I am loving your recipes!
May 24th, 2008 8:08 pm
I love that this has an almond base rather than some of the other alternative flours that have funky flavors. With the nut base maybe I will actually like the way this tastes…unlike any other gluten free, non chocolate cake that I’ve found so far. I just bought a whole bunch of carrots too, so I think this is on the docket for tomorrow!
May 24th, 2008 9:33 pm
moi -That’s really strange that it turned out crunchy; though it seems like somehow it came out alright since you spread it on the carrot cake from the coffee shop…how did it all work out in the end? Did you discover anything that would be prudent for me to change in the recipe? I didn’t encounter the crunchy problem in the 20+ test batches I did of this recipe though am so curious as to what you encountered and how it was fixed. Always love feeback. Thanks :-)
deborah -Mine too.
Zoe Francois -You’re very welcome!
ali -You are very welcome; I love sharing my recipes and it is so great to get feedback such as yours about how they turn out and are received in other groups and settings. I also think it’s excellent when people take a risk and adapt the recipe to suit their own needs; glad it worked out for you :-)
zebe912 -Did you make it yesterday? If so how did you like it –hopefully no funky taste; that’s what I like about almond flour, it’s not gritty or bitter. Thanks for your comment!
May 26th, 2008 12:08 pm
Well- I made it back safely from NYC. I only see my mother 1-2 times a year so our times together are extremely special to me. I actually grew up with my father so seeing love “manufactured” in the kitchen is somewhat foreign to me. As I am beginning to spend more time in the kitchen with these recipes, I see how the preparation of one meal can bring gratefulness, anticipation, joy, accomplishment and indulgence! I used to look at a cake in the kitchen as a temptation for me to fail. This morning I am eager to dine on a piece of this carrot cake only to experience nurture and love. For me, the ingredients we often see in your recipes are priceless. I can only imagine one day I will be riding my bike everywhere, but not skimping on the “elana-basics”.
*What do you grease your cake pans with? I have tried Grapeseed Oil for my last 2 cakes, but this does not seem to be working so well.
*Also, I eagerly await to hear your innovative brownie recipe!
May 29th, 2008 6:36 am
Hi Courtney -Thanks for another great comment; your writing is so descriptive and beautiful. Great to hear that you and your mother had a good time together in NYC. Hope the carrot cake was delicious and that you enjoyed every bite. Gosh, on the grapeseed oil, I haven’t had any troubles with things sticking…do you let the cakes cool for 2 hours? That might help. If you are letting them cool all the way and they are still sticking then I am not sure what to do though would suggest experimenting with a light dusting of almond flour over the grapeseed oil. As you make more of my cake recipes, please continue to update me about this matter –I want to fix it! :-) Elana
May 31st, 2008 9:10 pm
Elana, I have a confession… I never wait for your recipes to cool! I get so excited at the fact that I made something and it is going to be healthful and tasty at the same time that I… Well, i just dig in! I think once I have a few of these cakes under my belt, I will not be so eager to assemble. This should do the trick.
June 3rd, 2008 6:29 am
Any suggestions about how to make the cake vegan? Egg replacer? Flax meal? :)
June 3rd, 2008 3:25 pm
Courtney -You win “cutest comment” award for that one :-) xo Elana
sara kay -You will find the answer to this question and many other common questions in my FAQ’s, though feel free to leave questions in the comments section any time and I will assist you. Thanks for stopping by!
June 5th, 2008 10:11 pm
Hi!
I have a quick minute to finally respond to the carrot cake recipe post..It was my birthday (May 20th) and I flew with my 10 yr old daughter to NY to be with my family and go to a party for a much loved 80 year old friend of the family. It was such a great thing for me to connect with folks from my past, (the 80 yr old has known me since I was 2!) and I wanted to do something special. Your carrot cake photo inspired me! I don’t even go for carrot cake that much, never have! BUT!!! I am now a believer in carrot cake. I made such an outstanding cake that I had to covet the last piece (in the nick of time, too) in order to get enough of it! And everyone raved about it even after! My second one is now baking in the oven for my daughter’s 4th grade teacher, end of the year, picnic party tomorrow! I love the coconut frosting with it, although I have to decide, my daughter wants a glaze instead. Hard call…do I make something I can eat or go with the requests….ahh, either way, I thank you again for the recipes that have helped me through a life changing “restrictive” diet. Unbelievable amounts of happiness through your good food ideas.
there, that ought to do for a while- I shared!
I have made simple bread and sesame crackers which give me great pleasure since I thought I’d never be eating those things on a grain-free diet. Over the last few months a lot of healing has happened and I am enjoying good health once again!! (after a long struggle with vague digestive trouble, failure to thrive, general malaise, I am getting younger at 48)
So, I do go on and probably could say more on the right thread? I don’t know about threads enough to start one or go to one directly related to my “issues”.. any advice?
Hope you’re enjoying good weather, it sounds intensely bad in the midwest, hopefully Colorado is peaceful.
Jeanne
June 6th, 2008 11:37 pm
Jeanne -
Thanks for your comment and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Yes, I too have not really been big on carrot cake though have gotten really into it with this recipe…I am so glad that you liked it and that it worked out well for your bday.
Per your comment about the restrictive diet, yes, there is so much that we CAN eat and I think we are all realizing that as we connect and comment over here. Comments such as yours inspire me and make me thankful.
I am not very familiar with “threads.” Even though I have this website I am a middle aged techno-phobe. I would think if you wanted to start a thread it would be good to do so on the most recent post where there is a lot of traffic and just put out there whatever you wish to say and invite people to chat with you about it…
Thanks again for your sweet comment and congratulations on growing younger!
Elana
June 8th, 2008 1:02 pm
This cake looks incredible. I’m sure the almonds would taste amazing with the carrots. I’m not on a restricted diet but like to dabble in gluten-free when I can. Cool blog :)
June 18th, 2008 2:19 am
Laura- Thanks for stopping by; I checked out your blog and really like it.
Elana
June 19th, 2008 6:21 pm
I just love your site! I was so excited to find all of the delightful foods:-) Your recipes have changed the way we look at “our diet”. You have brought the joy of cooking and eating back into our home. I made this cake right away, and it tastes even more wonderful than it looks in the picture! My children and husband ate it all right out of the oven! Just had to say thanks…
July 23rd, 2008 6:54 pm
Chrissy-
Thanks for your feedback! You are very welcome.
Elana
July 28th, 2008 4:09 pm
Dear Elana, I just made your carrot cake with your cream cheese frosting for my daughter’s 15th birthday tonight. It was really delicious! I had to use “almond meal” bought at the grocery store rather than the almond flour you recommend because my daughter baked a bunch of banana bread yesterday and used it all up, so it didn’t rise really well, but still was very tasty. Everyone agrees they like your cream cheese frosting better than the sugary version, it is so light and creamy and not overly sweet. You asked what memories carrot cake brings back. My father was diagnosed with celiac several years before I was diagnosed. He got a really horrible gluten free cookbook, an old one from the 50s by some lady named Hulda, that was about the only thing available when he was diagnosed. He put up with crumbly dry baked goods and mostly just ate rice cakes. When I was diagnosed (only a few months after my sweet 15yo daughter was born) I would not eat that stuff and looked for some good gluten free cookbooks. I fortunately found Betty Hagman’s books, and next time my dad came to visit, I made him a REAL carrot cake just as good as any wheat based cake. He was so thrilled! After that, just about any time we visited, I would make him carrot cake, because it was his favorite. He passed away 7 years ago, just 2 weeks before my youngest child was born. He died from lymphatic cancer that is prevelant among celiacs who do not watch their diets (he was never as careful as he should have been). I miss him so much! So I always think of him when eating carrot cake.
August 4th, 2008 9:13 pm
Kathleen -Thanks for another great comment and for sharing your carrot cake story. Sorry to hear about your dad and thanks for the added bit of information about celiac and lymphatic cancer.
xo Elana
August 6th, 2008 11:27 am
Hi Elana,
This recipe looks amazing and I would like to make this cake for my birthday, but I am allergic to almonds and eggs. I know it’s not recommended to substitute coconut flour for almond flour in the same measurement as they are very different. Is it possible to use coconut flour or another GF flour instead? Also, could I use an egg replacer? I typically use the Ener-G one and have pretty good results although I’ve never used it for cakes.
Thanks you so much! I hope to be able to use this recipe.
August 14th, 2008 1:19 pm
Camila,
Thank you for your comment. I’m not sure if the ingredient substitutions you mentioned would work for this recipe. I’ve only used the ingredients listed. If you decide to experiment feel free to share your results here.
Elana
August 14th, 2008 1:59 pm
Elana,
I made the carrot cake and coconut frosting today. I’m new at this type of cooking. My cake didn’t rise much but still tasted good. The coconut frosting is amazing! I really appreciate the time that you spend to share your experience and experiments with others. I have been trying to use the scd (specific carbohydrate diet) to help with several health issues. It is good to be able to find creative genius such as yours.
August 23rd, 2008 5:35 pm
Bonnie -Thanks so much for your feedback; glad you like the frosting.
August 27th, 2008 11:28 am
Just finished making this cake. My only regret is that I substituted Real Salt for the celtic salt, and it was WAY too much. I feel a bit stupid for not realizing how much I was adding. If anyone uses any other type of salt for this, only use 1/2 tsp!!! Besides that, the cake is BRILLIANT- it cooked beautifully and it’s hard to believe there is no flour in it. I also blanched the almonds myself, then ground them in a food processor. They didn’t get as fine as flour, but it’s good to note that a blanched almond meal is perfectly fine for this recipe. My frosting did not get as thick as the picture shows, so I will have to tweak that a bit next time. Can’t wait to perfect this cake!
October 19th, 2008 10:34 pm
Julia,
For the frosting, maybe try leaving it in the freezer a tad longer, that usually helps. That is great that you ground your own almonds.
Thanks for sharing all of your findings.
Elana
October 21st, 2008 11:19 am
Elana,
Love you blog! Have you ever seen an organic almond flour??? Have you used it and what did you think? TU SO MUCH!!!
Jillian
November 6th, 2008 3:59 pm
Jillian -Unfortunately, there is no company in the U.S. that sells organic almond flour in stores.
November 7th, 2008 3:27 pm