Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g golden monk fruit sweetener
- 8 g baking powder
- 5 g baking soda
- 6 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 2 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 180 ml avocado oil
- 120 g unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 300 g carrots, freshly grated
- 100 g walnuts, chopped and toasted
Sugar-Free Frosting
- 450 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150 g powdered monk fruit sweetener
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 512 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 443 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 120 mg
- Potassium
- 228 mg
- Calcium
- 113 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 152 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 417 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 30 mcg
- Water
- 68 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, golden monk fruit sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
In a separate large bowl, beat the room temperature eggs, avocado oil, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully emulsified.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently using a silicone spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add the grated carrots and chopped walnuts to the batter. Fold gently until evenly dispersed.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake at 175 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 30 to 35 minutes.
Allow the cakes to rest in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting. In a stand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until entirely smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered monk fruit sweetener and vanilla, then whip for an additional 2 minutes.
Place the first cake layer on a serving plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
Chef's Notes
- Always grate your carrots fresh on the small or medium holes of a box grater. Store-bought pre-shredded carrots are too thick and dry, preventing them from melting properly into the crumb during baking.
- For the silkiest frosting, ensure the butter and cream cheese are at exactly the same room temperature before mixing. This prevents stubborn lumps that powdered sweeteners cannot mask.
- The unsweetened applesauce in this recipe provides essential pectin which locks in moisture. This allows us to reduce the overall oil content while keeping the crumb extremely tender.
- When using powdered monk fruit or erythritol blends for the frosting, you may notice a slight cooling sensation on the palate. Adding a tiny pinch of salt to the frosting can help neutralize this effect and balance the tang of the cream cheese.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to prevent the frosting from absorbing fridge odors.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze un-iced layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Do not heat, as the cream cheese frosting will melt.
Troubleshooting
Frosting is too runny and slides off the cake
Cause: The cream cheese or butter was too warm, or the cake layers were not completely cooled before assembly.
Fix: Place the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to firm up, then re-whip briefly before applying.
Prevention: Allow cream cheese and butter to soften naturally at room temperature for 30-45 minutes only. Ensure cakes are entirely cool to the touch.
Cake is dense and gummy in the center
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding the flour, or using heavily packed, pre-shredded wet carrots.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked. Consider slicing into smaller portions or repurposing the edges into cake truffles.
Prevention: Mix wet and dry ingredients just until no streaks of dry flour remain. Freshly grate carrots and weigh them precisely.
Cultural Context
Carrot cake's origins trace back to medieval European carrot puddings, created during times when traditional sweeteners were scarce and highly expensive. The natural sugars and high moisture content of carrots made them an ideal foundation for sweet baked goods. This modern variation honors that history by omitting refined sugars entirely, relying on modern alternative sweeteners and the innate sweetness of the root vegetable to produce a classic dessert profile.
