Almond flour is perfect for carrot cake. Its nuttiness pairs beautifully with the carrots, raisins, and spices, and it just so happens to be gluten-free. Carrot cake has always been a bit of a paradox. It sounds virtuous, but it’s usually not. Perhaps the almond flour makes it a tiny bit healthier? Even if it does, it feels like a dessert cake through and through, especially with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.
Smaller Size Cake -- Loaf or Six Inch
There are other almond flour carrot cake recipes, but most of them are large and I just wanted a small loaf size cake. This one fits an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan, but it won't come to the top and it should bake up flat. So even though you use a loaf pan, you are really just making rectangular cake. If you'd like to make a six inch layer cake, this recipe fits two 6-inch cake pans. For an even smaller cake, you can halve this recipe and make yourself a cute one layer 6-inch cake.
Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Cornstarch
One thing I've noticed when baking with almond flour is that cookies and cakes turn out better when I combine the almond flour with a bit of coconut flour. The coconut flour soaks up extra moisture and helps prevent the cake from taking on a steamed, soggy texture. Normally just a bit of coconut flour will do, but since carrots have so much moisture I threw in a little cornstarch as well. So the point here is that even though it's only a tablespoon of coconut flour and a teaspoon of cornstarch, it's worth adding.
A Few More Almond Flour Carrot Cake Notes
Carrot cake typically has plenty of oil, but using almond flour in place of wheat flour lets you cut the oil substantially. I've made this with different types of oil and like melted coconut oil the best. As for the sugar, you can use the sweetener of your choice. My friends really enjoyed a version sweetened with a coconut sugar, but brown sugar works just fine. As for the maple syrup, feel free to leave it out and use a little extra sugar, but it does add a nice flavor.
Raisins, Nuts, Coconut and Pineapple
A friend of tested the cake for me and said it reminded him a little of fruitcake. It does in a way with all of the raisins, nuts and pineapple, but it still has a carrot cake crumb. I've tested with an without the pineapple and it's good both ways. Lately I've been leaving it out. I personally would not leave out the raisins because they add some dimension to the texture, but you could substitute with another dried fruit. Currants work well.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The cream cheese frosting is just the basic formula, and it really adds something to the cake. I've made it with light cream cheese and I've also made with powdered allulose sugar, and believe it or not it was good! It's hard to go wrong with this particular frosting, but if you want a less sweet cake you can leave it off.
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Recipe
Almond Flour Carrot Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 ½ cups fine blanched almond flour (150 grams)
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour (7 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (3 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup lightly brown sugar or coconut sugar (I use the weight of 100 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup (30 grams)
- ¼ cup oil (melted coconut oil) (45 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups grated carrot, drain on paper towel (150 grams)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (35 grams)
- ⅔ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- ½ cup raisins, soaked in water or pineapple juice and drained
- ½ cup crushed pineapple, very well drained and pressed dry (optional)
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (regular or light)
- 2 ounce butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ to cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt, but can omit if you use salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan and line with a strip of parchment. For a 6-inch cake, use two 6-inch round cake pans.
- Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, using a scraper or a whisk, mix the eggs until blended, then beat in the sugar, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended, then stir in the carrots, walnuts, raisins, coconut and pineapple (if using).
- Spread batter in the pan and bake at 325°F for about 55-60 minutes (40 minutes if using 6-inch rounds) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually add the sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt for flavor.
- Spread over the cooled cake or pipe it.
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