Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 5 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 160 ml maple syrup, pure, preferably dark or amber
- 80 ml coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 120 g unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 200 g carrots, freshly grated
- 60 g walnuts, chopped and toasted
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 225 g full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 60 ml maple syrup, chilled
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 21 g
- Sodium
- 443 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 91 mg
- Potassium
- 271 mg
- Calcium
- 126 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 132 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 367 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.52 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 27 mcg
- Water
- 74 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a small amount of coconut oil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly combined.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and emulsified.
Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Fold the grated carrots and chopped walnuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 175°C (350°F).
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before running a knife around the edges and inverting it onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter in a bowl on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
Gradually pour the chilled maple syrup and vanilla extract into the cream cheese mixture while beating on low speed. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat just until fluffy.
Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the completely cooled cake. Slice and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Always grate your carrots fresh using a box grater. Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store are too thick and dry, which prevents them from softening properly and releasing their natural moisture into the cake during baking.
- Substituting maple syrup for refined white sugar adds liquid to the batter. The applesauce balances this by providing pectin and structure without requiring excess oil, yielding a perfectly tender crumb.
- For the frosting, it is absolutely crucial to use block-style cream cheese. Cream cheese sold in tubs has higher water content and air whipped into it, which will cause your naturally sweetened frosting to break and become soup.
- Room temperature eggs emulsify much better with the oil and syrup, ensuring an even rise. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, submerge the whole eggs in warm water for 5 minutes before cracking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the frosting from absorbing fridge odors and the cake from drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the cake unfrosted wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Troubleshooting
Frosting is runny and sliding off the cake
Cause: Maple syrup added too much liquid, or the cake was still warm when frosted.
Fix: Place the frosting bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the butterfats before spreading.
Prevention: Ensure the cake is entirely cool. Use full-fat block cream cheese rather than a tub, and do not overbeat once the syrup is added.
Cake is dense or gummy
Cause: The batter was overmixed after the dry ingredients were added, developing excess gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together gently with a spatula only until the flour streaks disappear.
Cultural Context
Carrot cake evolved from medieval European carrot puddings, an era when sweeteners were scarce and expensive, leading bakers to use naturally sweet root vegetables to flavor their desserts. It gained massive popularity in the United States during the 20th century, particularly during rationing periods in World War II and the subsequent health food movement of the 1970s. This iteration pays homage to its resourceful roots by relying entirely on natural sweetness.
