Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
A lightened-up simple carrot cake recipe with less sugar, whole wheat flour, and plenty of shredded carrots and fresh apples. Top with cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar , or ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup olive oil , or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger , or 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large apple
- 2 large carrots
- 1 orange
For the Icing
- ½ cup unsalted butter or dairy-free margarine , softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar , sifted
- zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup cream cheese , at room temperature
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts toasted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9-inch cake round line the base with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and oil and whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Add dry mixture to the wet and fold together. Peel and grate the apple (core and all but pick out the seeds) and carrots, then stir into the batter along with the orange zest and juice.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, place on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, and bake or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the butter, powdered sugar and most of the orange zest until pale and smooth, then stir in the cream cheese (and maple syrup if using) until just combined.
- Once cooled, frost the cake with the icing. Sprinkle walnuts on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 315mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 520IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!