Happy Birthday to me! Yes, it was my birthday this past week, plus father’s day, plus my nephew’s graduation from high school, plus my niece’s graduation from 8th grade. This gave me the perfect excuse to bake the carrot cake that I had made for my sister’s birthday. I told you about it in my last post, but I don’t think I mentioned how delicious it was!
If you know me at all, you can imagine how picky I am when it comes to my birthday dessert. I think that I have been baking my own birthday desserts for years now, and actually I would not have it any other way! You know, it has to be gluten-free, no white sugar, nothing too sweet, and it has to be healthy enough that I can eat it for breakfast! I think that this carrot cake fits that description. Gluten free – yep, it is made with almond flour. No white sugar – yep, I use the coconut nectar which has a very low glycemic load ( which basically means that the sugar is not absorbed quickly into your blood stream making it a good choice for pre-diabetics or diabetics).
It is definitely not too sweet and with the addition of carrots and pecans, plus the almond flour and eggs, it is packed with protein plus it has some vegetables, which fits my description for a healthy breakfast! OK, not everyday, but on my birthday – you bet!
Carrot Cake
3 c. almond flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. cinnamon
¾ tsp. nutmeg
5 eggs
½ c. coconut nectar
¼ c. sunflower oil
2 c. grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
1 c. pecan pieces
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare either 2 9” round cake pans or a 13”X9” baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, coconut nectar, and oil.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.
5. Add the carrots and pecan pieces to the batter and mix together.
6. Pour batter into pan(s).
7. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing.
9. Cool to room temperature and spread with Coconut Cream Frosting.
10. Serve and enjoy!
Coconut Cream Frosting
1 can Coconut Cream
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Empty contents of coconut cream into a mixing bowl.
2. Beat on high slowly adding the maple syrup and vanilla.
3. Beat for 2-3 minutes. It should be light and fluffy at the end.
Now, the best part … Slice the cake and enjoy!
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