I’ve seen a lot of carrot cake recipes around lately and most of them claim to be the best carrot cake recipe ever. And here’s another one!
I hate carrots. You might already realize that since I’ve mentioned I hate all vegetables except for corn and potatoes, but I do. I couldn’t possibly have carrots in my cake unless they were undetectable, so I used the really fine grater of my food processor. I ate a piece just now and shrieked when I bit into a piece of something. It took me way too long to realize that it was one of the pieces of carrots that got stuck at the top of the grating disc that didn’t get properly obliterated. I’ve brought this cake into work several times and all the Americans recognized it as carrot cake. That should mean something, right? So this tastes like awesome carrot cake but doesn’t taste like vegetables! There.
They don’t have carrot cake in Germany (it might be at Starbucks or something like that) and whenever I give this to Germans, they say it’s the “best Christmas cake ever!” At first I thought it was absurd, but then I realized they have a point. This has cinnamon and ginger. That’s kind of Christmas-y. Do we associate carrot cake with Easter because the Easter Bunny eats carrots? I’ve googled it and couldn’t find an answer. It’s because of the bunnies, right?
The icing is kind of tangy. I only used 1/2 cup of sugar, but the more you add, the less tangy it is. If you prefer a traditional recipe, this one is my favorite.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (240 grams) whole spelt, whole wheat pastry, or whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (220 grams) granulated sugar or coconut sugar (159 grams)
- 3/4 cup (183 grams) unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup (118ml) olive oil, I used extra-virgin
- 14.5 oz / 410 grams grated and peeled carrots*
Frosting:
- 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese
- 1 6-ounce container (170 grams) Greek yogurt*
- 1/2 – 1 cup (60 – 12 grams) powdered sugar
* We only have 10% here so that’s what I used. If the 0% stuff is as thick as the “regular” version, then it should be okay!
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease three 8″ pans or line them with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the sugar, apple sauce, and olive oil and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined. Then fold in the carrots, again only until combined. Bake for 13 – 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I accidentally had the fan on so these minutes could be off. It might be longer, but just check it at 13 and see how it is. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, and then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Frost when completely cooled.
For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and Greek yogurt. When combined, add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time. This frosting isn’t pipeable, but if you refrigerate it overnight, it it sets a little more than when first made. This recipe only makes enough to fill the two layers and the top. You can see that the layers also only had thin layers of icing. I used a little less than 1/2 cup per layer. If iced, store in the fridge. The cake stays moist for several days.
Non US-bakers: Unless your cream cheese comes in bricks (not the spreadable kind that comes in tubs) you have to drain the cream cheese or the icing will be a watery mess. For 225 grams, get a 300 gram package and drain it in a thin linen kitchen towel until it’s thick like the American stuff. It should come out to around 225 grams.
37 comments on "100% Whole Grain Carrot Cake" — Add one!
This looks and sounds GREAT! I am on a whole grain and sugar free diet, so it is difficult to bake things that I can eat too. I am going to try this cake tomorrow subsituting Truvia for the sugar and running the Truvia through the food processor for the powdered sugar. I will let you know how it comes out.
This is a great idea, I love carrot cake, it has to be the best cake ever. Love the site too.
Just wondering…. where do you buy your coconut sugar in Germany? And allspice?
I got mine from Metro. You can get it from the Bio stores but it's extremely expensive there. Allspice = Piment and you can find it in any non-discounter. :) Good luck!
This recipe is easy if you have a food processor to grate your carrots, or if you buy them pre-grated. Otherwise it's a huge pain. Literally. You'll scrape the heck out of your knuckles on the grater. Thanks.
Great recipe, loved your carrot cake (and just blogged about it as well:). Thank you!
I'm so happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know and blogging about it. Will check it out. :)
Ugh. JEN, I mean. :)
Jens – Haha. At least you read them. I bookmark things and years later they're still there, waiting to be read. So good for you. :)
Oh this looks so incredibly yummy. You can tell how much I am behind in reading my bookmarked articles LOL, Jen
Jonathan – Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. :) And yeah, the whole grain thing is definitely a plus! It really doesn't taste "healthy."
This looks incredible!!! And the 100% whole grain is a plus!!! Can't wait to make this.
Sonia – Sorry I'm just now replying. I had to go outside in my pajamas in the snow to get reception to answer that last question.
Your site was working last night so that's good! It must be some Wordpress wide problem. Last night I tried commenting on Nora's page and it didn't work although it had started working again a few days previously. It's wacky.
Sorry I didn't see your Facebook comment. :( I try to keep up with Facebook but I'm just bad at it. I usually only remember to post my own links several days after originally making the post. I'm sorry the cake didn't come out the way you wanted, but I'm sure if your family liked it, it must be good! If you added some honey, I surely wouldn't be disappointed. Good luck with the next attempt! :)
Sorry for the slow response! I'm in a forest with no reception. I suggest trying 2/3 cup honey but I can't guarantee it'll work. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it! :)
Oh, so my site is being an idiot too? I don't know what's up with that, but I've been unable to comment on many of my favorite blogs lately. I'm really sorry about that, I'll definitely have to look into that situation and try and get it resolved! There has to be a solution!
As for the chocolate cake, I did leave a comment on my facebook page to the effect that I had made a first attempt but wasn't as pleased with it as I wanted to be, so decided it was a no go and I had to take a second shot at it. However, after it was half gone, my daughter and mother just kept raving about it, they absolutely LOVED it, so I'm wondering if perhaps, I won't keep it exactly as is, without any added sugar. Still debating. Second take should be happening this weekend. Stay tuned! :)
You think I would have read your comment right above mine. So, if I do try to make it all honey, how much do you think I'd need? The same amount by weight?
This cake looks so yummy. Is there a way to make it using only honey. My brother and sister-in-law are on a diet that allows only honey as a sweetener. Could it work?
Sonia – Wow, what a compliment! Thank you. :) You know, you're really clever. Marzipan is all over the place here and I used gum paste that I brought with me from the US. I would never eat the stuff, but I'll put it on as decorations. Marzipan would be so much better! Especially homemade marzipan. My carrot mixture was basically puree and it always works out nicely! I can't wait to see what you come up with.
When's that chocolate cake coming? Or did I miss a mention somewhere? :) Your site and all Wordpress sites have been a pain in the butt recently with the comments which is why I've been quiet. Thanks again for the kind comment!
Dawn – Go go go! I'd love to try a low sugar version. I felt kind of bad posting this recipe, but it's so good I couldn't keep it back. I was almost tempted to use all honey, but I couldn't mess with our Easter cake. Maybe later. Happy Easter to you! :)
this looks tasty! I love carrot cake, especially with cream cheese frosting. I haven't had that since I started this low sugar diet. You have given me inspiration to work on a low sugar version. ooh yummy!
Well, Erin, I don't know if your carrot cake is indeed the best carrot cake ever, but I have to say it's by far one of the most beautiful I've ever seen! I love your little carrots! Are those marzipan? And it does look like it's unbelievably moist.
I love the idea of grating the carrots super fine to create even more moisture. Like a carrot puree, almost. I will be giving that technique a try for sure. As a matter of fact, I'm still on a quest to find the perfect carrot cake, and seeing as how I haven't found it yet, I was planning on giving it another shot soon. Guess who will be my inspiration? :)
Honey – I never thought of red velvet cake as Christmas cake. It's obviously a good choice but my family always had green velvet cake for my mother's birthday, which is St. Patrick's Day. Red velvet cake is good for anything, I guess!
Marisha – I'm not a big fan of pineapple in baked goods. It's weird because it's probably in my top three favorite types of fruit. And you should definitely try adding adding some whole wheat flour to your recipe! Just start off with 1/3 whole wheat. It might take some getting used to. Good luck. :)
Katelyn – I don't like them that way either but thanks for the tip. :) Good luck with the soup! I know somebody who would love that and I'll probably end up making it if you succeed.
I love carrot cake. My favorite version is dusted with toasted coconut on the outside. I don't like carrots in all contexts though. They're really good roasted until the point of caramelization with a little brown sugar. Maybe you'd like them like that? I've been trying to capture that flavor in a soup for a while. Three tries so far and no dice.
I love LOVE carrot cake. Smothered in cream cheese frosting. Sigh. I made carrot cake cupcakes last week and the house smelled cinnamon-y and delicious. Complete with piped on, super thick cream cheese frosting. I will definitely have to try using whole wheat flour – that's my next step in baking healthier. My recipe uses pineapple – have you ever tried that??
i love your baking style.. i incorporate whole wheat pastry flour in almost everything i bake. i also find ways to tone down the fat.. brilliantly done. i LOVE carrot cake. Here in the US, our xmas cake is Red Velvet Cake. :-)
Amy – Thanks! I hope it doesn't disappoint. Don't tell people it's whole grain though or they'll complain. Let them shower you with compliments first and then tell them. That's always my method. :)
this looks absolutely wonderful + i love that you made it taste as least vegetably as possible. i might give this a try for easter – thanks!
Katrina – Really?! You're the second one to say that. Maybe I'm just not super picky about carrot cake or maybe it's just that this one is so amazingly good. :)
Miryam – It's not really! There are so many crumbs in the frosting layers. I wanted to ask in my post how to cut such clean layers, but I figured it has to do with the moistness of the cake. And if you haven't, please read the note about the frosting! It's not pipeable. It'd still be good on cupcakes, but you would only be able to spread it on. I hope you like it! You can always add more sugar if you want. Butter's not needed though. :)
This cake looks amazing. The cut piece looks really clean, I can't never get my peaces to look like that!! I love carrot cake. It is not something that I made regularly but now that I have seen yours I should make it again. I have never seen Greek yogurt on frosting, very cleaver. I am using this frosting recipe for my next needed cake or cupcakes, I love it!!
(Good) carrot cake is my favorite! I still haven't found THE one yet. The best I've ever had is sold in this little cafe about a 3 hour drive away..a trip I don't mind making sometimes it's that good. I'm so happy you posted a whole grain one. I can't wait to make it!
Cassie – Thank you! And dreamy? That's a new one. It gave me a huge smile. :)
Rachel – What?! You need to make some carrot cake. It's good stuff, especially if it's covered in cream cheese frosting. I went light with it in this one, but you have to drown the cake in the stuff to get the full experience. And use regular cream cheese frosting too! Your kids have to experience the "real" thing. :)
Nora – I guess de-glutenizing it would be quite difficult. I feel bad when I post a recipe that you can't make. :(
Caroline – Uh oh, I guess I should be kind of nervous. I LOVE this cake, but if you've never found one you like as much as the bakeries, then I'm nervous. Everyone I've given some to has loved it, but they're not carrot cake experts like you are. I hope you like it!
Melinda – Hi and thank you! It's always great to hear from new readers. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like what you're finding. :)
Becca – Yeah, I think so too! I'm happy you like the photos. I won't mention how long it took to get that first photo. I went through tons of backgrounds and it turns out that white is always better. I've learned my lesson. No more trying to be creative!
I assume carrot cake is associated with Easter because the Easter Bunny eats carrots…. That's the only reason I can come up with.
I don't like carrot cake (or carrots in general), but I like your photos; they're beautiful :)
Hi Becca! Just happened to come onto this "amazing" site and started to look at everything(makes me hungry) and read a lot of what is here. My Carrot Cake is probably the one and only thing in my life that I am good at!!! EXAMPLE: Where I used to work, we would do a fundraiser for a charity that raised money to buy toys for children for Christmas time. This charity made sure all children were looked after! Anyways, where I worked, was in an old house, and each year I had to make more and more cakes, so I just stayed at work, OVERNIGHT and kept baking. The last year that I made the cakes, I had to do a cut off at 115 cakes. People who bought often, would pay double price if they could get two batches of icing on the cake, instead of one…I thought this was wild! If you ever want the receipe, just let me know, and with this receipe, it is not just the ingredients….there are a couple of "must do tips" as well. All the best, Cheryl
Just stumbled upon your blog – love all your recipes!! This carrot cake looks fantastic. Love the use of greek yogurt in the frosting!
Carrot cake is my all time favorite cake ever. I've never found a recipe that I liked as much as some of the ones from bakeries. I must try this one! :D
OH MY!!! This is beautiful!!!! I LOVEEEEEEEEE carrot cake so I just need to de-glutenize it!!! Fabulous job :)
I maybe have had a piece once or twice in my life but can't for the life of me remember what it tastes like. I'm all for hiding veggies if they can't be tasted ;) Bonus if it's in sweets.
I love carrots, I love carrot cake, I love cream cheese frosting, I love whole grains…I'll stop now. This looks and sounds dreamy! Gorgeous, too!