Ingredients You Will Need
To make this amazing cake you will need to gather these simple items from your kitchen. Please make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so they mix together perfectly.
- 2 cups of finely grated fresh carrots
- 1 cup of oat flour or blended rolled oats
- 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder
- 3 large eggs
- half cup of unsweetened applesauce
- quarter cup of melted coconut oil
- half cup of sugar free maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- half teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- half teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- half teaspoon of baking soda
- quarter teaspoon of salt
- quarter cup of chopped walnuts for extra crunch
- quarter cup of raisins if you like them sweet
For the healthy cream cheese frosting you will need:
- 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
- half cup of light cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons of honey or stevia
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Step by Step Method
First you need to get your oven ready by heating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is getting hot you should take an 8 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper. This is a very important step because it ensures your cake will not stick to the bottom when you try to take it out later. If you do not have parchment paper you can rub a little bit of coconut oil on the sides and bottom of the pan instead.
Next take a large mixing bowl and whisk your eggs until they are fluffy and light. Add in the unsweetened applesauce and the melted coconut oil while continuing to stir. Pour in the sugar free maple syrup and the vanilla extract then mix everything together until it looks smooth. This liquid mixture is what provides all the moisture for your cake so make sure it is well combined.
In a separate smaller bowl you should mix all your dry ingredients together. Put the oat flour and vanilla protein powder in the bowl along with the cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger. Add the baking powder and baking soda and the tiny bit of salt. Use a fork to stir these dry parts until there are no big lumps of protein powder or flour left in the bowl.
Now it is time to bring the two bowls together by pouring the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Use a large spoon or a spatula to gently fold the mixture together. Do not mix it too hard or too fast because you want to keep the air in the batter. Once you see that the flour has disappeared you can stop mixing.
Take your finely grated carrots and fold them into the batter along with the chopped walnuts and raisins if you decided to use them. Make sure the carrots are spread out evenly so every slice of cake has plenty of orange flecks in it. The batter should look thick and smell amazing because of all those warm spices you added earlier.
Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and use your spoon to smooth out the top so it is nice and flat. Place the pan in the center of your hot oven and bake it for about 30 to 35 minutes. You will know it is done when you poke a toothpick into the middle and it comes out clean without any wet batter sticking to it.
While the cake is cooling down you can make the healthy frosting. Put the Greek yogurt and light cream cheese in a bowl with your sweetener and vanilla. Use a whisk or a hand mixer to beat it until it is very creamy and smooth. If the frosting feels too soft you can put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
Once the cake is completely cold you can spread the frosting all over the top. It is very important to wait for the cake to be cool otherwise the frosting will melt and slide right off. You can decorate the top with a few more walnuts or a sprinkle of cinnamon to make it look beautiful. Slice it into equal pieces and enjoy your healthy creation!
