This is a paleo adaptation of my mom’s carrot cake, which was my favorite cake growing up. It can be adapted for keto cycling too by increasing the hazelnuts and subbing part of the figs or dates with allulose. This is usually the way I make it though as I cannot tolerate most dairy, save grass fed butter or goat & sheep dairy (A2) and I LOVE the moistness of the ground figs & dates.
It is spicy, dense and sweet but not too sweet and it is a personal favorite of mine!
Alyssa also loved it for her first birthday smash cake but sadly we didn’t get a good photo!
If you like things a little sweeter you can add another 1/4 cup allulose or even maple sugar or maple syrup.
*For AIP you can sub the nutmeg with mace.
I hope you enjoy it!
Paleo Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Fat Daddio Cheesecake Pans
- unbleached parchment paper
- Food Processor
- Mixer
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 2 cups Carrots shredded
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 1 cup pitted dates or fresh figs
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or liquid coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure monk
- 1/4 cup Rx Sugar allulose
- 1/4 cup coconut flour Bob’s Red Mill
- 1/4 cup arrowroot
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting (Paleo):
- 16 oz Coconut Kefir Cream Cheese
- 1/2 tsp pure monk fruit powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup Allulose or Swerve Confectioners can also refine in a food processor
- 1 scoop Myers Way Vanilla Paleo Protein or Vanilla Bone Broth Protein optional - if you want a stiffer frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting (Keto):
- 8 oz Cream Cheese or Coconut Kefir Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup grass fed butter softened
- 3/4-1 tsp pure monk fruit powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a cheesecake pan with coconut oil and line with parchment paper for ease of removal. (I cut the parchment paper to fit the pan before I grease it, tracing the base with a knife to get a circle. This helps the cake remove clean without breakage.)
- Shred carrots and set aside.
- Add hazelnuts & dates to food processor and chop until they make a paste.
- Add eggs, oil, baking soda, Rx Sugar, spices and process.
- Remove to a new bowl and stir in shredded coconut.
- Fold in raisins.
- Bake in oven 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pan and thickness of the cake. I like little fat cakes in a 6-7” pan so mine take longer. I check at 30 minutes with a skewer or toothpick. When it comes out mostly clean and the cake has begun to pull away from the side a wee bit it is done.
- Remove and let cool before frosting.
- In a mixer, add cream cheese of choice and softened butter (if using) and beat together with a whip until smooth.
- Add vanilla, monk and confectioners allulose and whip again until it forms soft peaks.
- Frost the cake as you like. I sometimes frost it on all sides and at other times I just like to dollop it on top.
- Serve!