I never really liked conventional carrot cake — it tries to be too “healthy” while actually filled with loads of refined sugars and rancid vegetable oils. Adding to the sugar assault is the sickly sweet cream cheese frosting. Here is a recipe that is grain, sugar and dairy free and astonishingly satisfying without being cloyingly sweet. The earthy taste of the dates and pecans combined with the mild sweetness of the carrots makes for a beautifully textured and amazing comfort food. The thin layer of coconut cream icing adds another dimension to the experience. Your kids will love it!
Carrots have been used in sweet desserts since medieval times mainly because sweeteners were scarce and expensive, while carrots, which contain more sugar than any other vegetable besides the sugar beet, were much easier to come by. The origins of carrot cake are disputed but it is thought to come from Gothenburg, Sweden. Because of rationing during World War 11 the popularity of carrot cake was revived.
Here, I used 3 tablespoons of honey, but you can experiment and probably use less because the dates and carrots also sweeten the cake. I also like to soften the grated carrots by cooking them first in ghee, but you can skip this step if you like a somewhat coarser texture.
Grain-Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
6 large eggs (pastured if possible)
4 tablespoon ghee (where to buy ghee) (how to make ghee)
3 tablespoon raw honey (where to buy raw honey)
8 pitted and pureed dates
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
1.5 cups grated carrots (organic)
3/4 cup pecan butter from 1 1/2 cup crispy pecans (where to buy crispy pecans) (how to make crispy nuts)
1/2 – 3/4 cup coconut flour (where to buy coconut flour)
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt (where to buy sea salt)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (where to buy high quality spices)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or freshly grated
pinch clove
Instructions
- In the food processor grate about 6 – 8 medium organic carrots
- Remove and place in a large pan and saute the grated carrots in ghee until somewhat soft (this can be omitted if you prefer raw carrots)
- While the carrots cook, place the pecans in the food processor and process until it is a nut butter
- Place the eggs, ghee, honey, cooked carrots and vanilla in the food processor and mix
- In a bowl soak the pitted dates until soft (about 30 minutes) (start this when you start preparing)
- In a small processor, puree the dates until it is a paste (this will still have some chunks in it)
- Add the date paste to the large food processor and mix
- Add the coconut flour (start with 1/2 cup), baking soda, and spices and mix
- The batter should be somewhat thick but still pourable
- Pour batter into 3 small (7″) baking pans
- Bake on 325 for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Cool on a rack
Icing
- Dairy-free coconut whipped cream (where to buy coconut cream for whipping) (how to make it into whipped cream – video)
Variation
- Slice the cake in half horizontally and create a layer in between the two halves. Ice the top as well.
- Here is my video for creating the layers for my Cocoa Butter Layer Cake.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow Jill this looks great! I’m definitely going to highlight this in one of my Saturday Snippets posts.
Hi Hannah,
I’m sure you will enjoy this carrot cake. Thanks for featuring my recipes!
I LOVE carrot cake. And with the coconut cream icing…this sounds fantastic!
Jill! Your recipes always look spot on. I’ve never tried using dates to sweeten baked goods. A lot of recipes do this, so some day I am just gonna have to try it out. I really enjoy using stevia, and coconut sugar, maple syrup, and raw honey in SMALL amounts. Or just do it unsweetened
Hi Meagan,
Thanks for your comments! I always try to make the recipes SCD and GAPS legal so I do not use stevia, coconut sugar or maple syrup. Only raw honey.
Do you have any suggestions for egg free? The recipe looks awesome, perfect for a little persons birthday this week!
Hi Heather,
I have not made the recipe without eggs but here is a post that discusses egg replacer:
http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/energ-egg-substitute-egg-replacer-without-eggs
Let me know how it goes!
Heather,
There is also this egg replacement:
Recipe:
1 egg = 1 tsp gelatin, 3 Tbs cold water and 7 tsp boiling water
2 eggs= 2 tsp gelatin, 1/3 C. cold water and 1/2 C boiling Water
3 eggs= 1 Tbs gelatin, 1/2 C. cold water and 1/2 C Boiling water
Before Baking:
1. Place, cold water in bowl
2. Sprinkle gelatin to soften. Mix thoroughly with spoon.
3. Add boiling water until desolved.
4. Place in freezer to thicken while mixing cake or cookies or refrigerate
(refrigeration takes a little longer)
5. When time to add eggs, take thickened gelatin from freezer or
refrigerator and beat until it’s frothy.. <———- THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT!!
6. Add to recipe instead of eggs.
Carrot Cake is one of my favorites…I can’t wait to try this! I’m grain, dairy and refined sugar-free so this recipe is perfect…thanks for posting!
Hi Simplylivinghealthy,
Thanks! Let me know how it goes! Your egg cups look great!
I can’t have honey, any suggestions as to what I can substitute? I can have stevia, maple syrup, brown rice syrup and agave.
Hi Jsr,
I would go for the maple syrup — grade B has more minerals. Or a combination of stevia and maple syrup. I don’t know much about the rice syrup but the agave is not a good choice at all. I will be posting about that soon. Lots of marketing for a product that is junk.
I love dates as a sweetener. I looks like the cake has maintained it’s lightness while still carrying the density of a regular carrot cake. Oh and coconut cream. SO yummy and so easy to make!
Oh la la. That looks so goood!
Already your follower. Just visiting.
http://olahmomma.com
That’s indeed an amazing looking cake.
FOODELICIOUS
EVENT
FOR DECEMBER & GIVEAWAY, ‘ONLY’- COOKIES & CAKES
wow ! I can’t wait to try this cake. I love carrot cake but am gluten free. It looks amazing
What about the baking soda? I thought this was illegal for GAPS?
Hi Ruthshort,
Baking soda is now acceptable on GAPS.
That is so nice to know!
May I ask where you learned this?
Hi Ruth,
Straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak — it was asked of Dr. Campbell McBride at the Weston Price Conference. You can also go onto the GAPS Yahoo group and verify it there.
Thank you!
Looks amazing, Jill!
Oh yum! I bet my guys would enjoy this.
Hi Linda,
I think they would!
Love the idea of the dates in this, and the coconut cream frosting? – well I could just eat a bowl of that on its own!
Hi Jill,
That is a beautiful Carrot Cake, it looks awesome! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
This looks delicious! I would love if you shared this in my holiday recipes Blog Hop. Enter it for a chance at a Wilton Pre-Baked Gingerbread Tree Kit! http://bit.ly/vbyp71
I am definitely trying this! Thanks!
Looks delish! I could go for a slice right now!
Wow, this looks delicious and looks like something I can make!!! Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul blog hop!
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