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Carrot Cake has been my favourite dessert (next to cheesecake and pumpkin pie) since I can remember! Growing up in Germany, cake and coffee (kafee und kuchen) was a big part of my upbringing, and I still dream of the perfect carrot cake.
I have been looking for a low-sugar carrot cake recipe for years that fit exactly what I was looking for: low-sugar, gluten-free, fluffy and moist, but also firm enough to bake into a loaf, with the perfect amount of spice and a healthy, creamy dairy-free icing. After a few rounds of recipe testing, I am happy to say this one is just perfect! It’s not too sweet and also packed with goodness and healthy fats to help balance hormones and reduce sugar cravings.
Carrot Cake Loaf
- 2 cups of almond flour
- 1 cup of all-purpose unbleached flour
(can sub this gluten-free baking flour
)
- 1 big tbsp. aluminium-free baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg, turmeric, ground ginger, cardamom and Himalayan salt
- 1 cup of organic sugar free soy milk*
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 & 1/4 cups grated carrot
- 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
+ 4 tbsp. warm water
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup of quality extra virgin olive oil
- optional: 1/4 cup crushed walnuts, pecans or raisins.
(can sub 
)
+ 4 tbsp. warm waterMethod
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Mix the dry ingredients together until combined.
- Mix the flax seed and the water together and set aside while you mix the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, carrot, vanilla, maple syrup and olive oil. Then add the flax mixture.
- Grease the loaf tin with a bit of olive oil. Pour the mixture evenly into the tin. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top of the loaf is golden brown. Do a toothpick check to see if the loaf is cooked all the way through.
- Top with the Cashew Buttercream Frosting (below)
Notes
- *I use organic unsweetened quality soymilk as I find it binds the best, but you can alternatively use almond milk if you’d like.
- Depending on your oven, you may have to cook this loaf at a higher temperature after 45 mins (up to 375F). Remove once the top of the loaf is golden brown.
Cashew Buttercream Frosting
- 1.5 cups cashews
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almond or soy milk milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- The juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
- Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours (up to 12) to get the best consistency
- In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients until creamy and smooth. Taste and sweeten to your liking.
- Feel free to add fun flavours like orange zest, pistachios or rose water.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Once the loaf and the icing have completely cooled (at least 1 hour), then begin to ice the load evenly. Store the loaf in the fridge for up to 5 days or serve fresh.
Did you try this recipe? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Share your creations on Instagram with the hashtag #thepurelife so I can see them.
Love always, Sisley
Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf
