Content Library Recipes Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake

Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake

12-16 slices

Prep time: Cake: 25 min
Glaze: 10 min + 8 hours
Cook time: 30 min + cooling time

Carrot cake is one of my favorite seasonal treats. And when it comes to dessert, why not try to get some extra veggies in? This recipe packs carotenoid-rich carrots (known for supporting vision and immunity, among other things) into a tasty grain-free cake made with almond flour, coconut four, and tahini. It’s full of healthy fats that boost brain and metabolic function, along with warming spices that benefit the circulatory system. 

I’m always careful about enjoying dessert without causing a huge spike in my blood sugar, so I opted to use monk fruit as the sweetener since it has zero glycemic impact. I know your whole family will love this one!

Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Easy Healthy Recipe

Ingredients

Coconut Glaze

  • 1 cup coconut butter
  • 2 tablespoons monk fruit maple syrup or regular maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup canned coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

  • 2 ½ medium carrots, coarsely grated
  • 4 large pasture-raised eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated golden monk fruit or coconut sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups fine almond flour
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • ¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Garnish (Optional)

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted

Method

Step 1 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 1

Prepare the Coconut Glaze 1 day to 8 hours ahead of the cake so that it has time to cool. Add all of the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan, warm over low heat until the coconut butter has melted. Whisk for 2 minutes over low heat. Transfer to a container, cover, and leave out at room temp overnight.

Step 2 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3, 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and brush them lightly with olive oil. (Note: Using larger cake pans will result in a change of baking time.) Add the eggs and monk fruit to a food processor and mix for 5 minutes.

Step 3 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 3

Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the eggs and mix. Slowly pour the tahini in while continuing to mix, followed by the olive oil, this should take about 3 minutes.

Step 4 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 4

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest, Himalayan salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger.

Step 5 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 5

Slowly pulse batches of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using the food processor. Scrape down sides as needed.

Step 6 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 6

Add the grated carrots and pulse just until combined. The batter will be very thick, this is normal. Lastly, fold the shredded coconut and walnuts into the batter with a spatula.

Step 7 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 7

Divide batter evenly between the cake pans, run a spatula over the top to flatten. Bake until the sides are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. The cakes will continue to cook after being removed from the oven, so avoid over baking. Allow the cakes to cool completely before glazing, about 2 hours.

Step 8 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 8

Assemble the cake: Place a small amount of glaze onto the serving plate you will use to assemble the cake. Place 1 cake layer on top of the glaze and add about 2 tablespoons of glaze on top, spread out evenly, and repeat with the remaining layers.

Step 9 Coconut-Tahini Carrot Cake Healthy Recipe

Step 9

When all the layers are stacked, glaze the sides and decorate the top of the cake with toasted coconut (optional). The cake can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days, make sure to remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving.

Nutritional Information

Nutritional analysis (per serving, based on 16 servings, if using monk fruit sweeteners): Calories: 323, Total Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g,, Cholesterol: 46mg, Fiber: 7g, Protein: 8g, Carbohydrates: 22g, Sodium: 215mg, Sugars: 4g, Sugar Alcohols: 9g, Net Carbs: 6g

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