Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar (may sub coconut sugar)
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour, if needed)*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ⅔ cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mist an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with nonstick spray. (TIP: For easy removal of the cake from the pan, line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil strips, leaving extra to hang over the edges. Mist the parchment or foil with nonstick spray.)
- In a medium bowl, cream together the eggs, sugar, milk, applesauce, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- To the same bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, salt, and cloves; stir together. Fold in the shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts; mix until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, place the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer or wooden spoon, blend the ingredients until smooth, slowly increasing the speed. When smooth, slowly add the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk; mix until blended.
- Gently spread the frosting over the cooled carrot cake. If desired, garnish with extra chopped nuts, a dash of cinnamon, and/or shredded fresh carrots. Cut into 16 pieces.
- Store unfrosted carrot cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If carrot cake is frosted, store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
*For gluten free: use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-for-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour Blend.
For dairy free: Use an unsweetened non-dairy milk in the cake and frosting. Additionally, use vegan stick butter and vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti or Treeline dairy-free cream cheese) for the frosting.
For egg free: Substitute ‘flax eggs’ for the eggs. To make enough to substitute for 2 eggs, whisk together 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 4 tablespoons of warm water, let set for 3-5 minutes to thicken, then add to the batter. Also, stir 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar into the batter after adding the flax eggs.
The nutrition per serving without frosting is: 144 calories, 3 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 141 mg sodium, 26 g carb (3 fiber, 11 g sugar), 2 g protein, 22 mg cholesterol
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 piece with frosting
- Calories: 242
- Fat: 7 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 165 mg
- Carbohydrate: 40 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 25 g)
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg