Let’s make a yummy keto carrot cake! You will love how easy it is to make and how good it tastes. This sweet treat is perfect for anyone looking to eat yummy foods without lots of sugar. Get ready to bake a cake that’s good for you and tastes amazing.
Ingredients for Keto Carrot Cake
- Almond Flour (2 cups): This is your secret weapon! Almond flour gives our cake that perfect tender crumb without the carbs. Pro tip: Make sure to measure carefully – it’s the foundation of our keto magic!
- Coconut Oil (1 1/4 cup): Liquid gold for our cake! Melt and let it cool before mixing. It’ll keep everything moist and give that rich, luxurious texture we’re after.
- Eggs (4 large): Your binding superheroes! These will help our cake hold together and add incredible richness. Room temperature eggs blend like a dream.
- Carrots (2.5 cups, finely grated): The star of our show! Grate these babies super fine – they’ll melt right into the cake and bring that classic carrot cake moisture.
- Pecans (1 cup, chopped): Crunch central! These nuts add incredible texture and a toasty flavor that’ll make your taste buds dance.
- Sweeteners (Swerve): Our keto-friendly sugar replacements. The granulated and brown sugar alternatives keep things sweet without the carb overload.
Frosting Ingredients
- Cream Cheese (8 oz): The creamy dream team! Make sure it’s super soft for that silky smooth frosting.
- Butter (1/2 cup): Adds richness and helps create that classic cream cheese frosting texture.
- Powdered Sweetener (1 1/2-2 cups): Sweeten to your heart’s content – adjust to taste!
Baking Magic: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep Like a Pro: Fire up that oven to 350°F. Grab two 9-inch cake pans and give them some love with a quick grease or parchment paper lining. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
- Dry Ingredients Dance: In a medium bowl, mix your almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk them together like you’re creating a flavor symphony.
- Wet Ingredient Wonderland: In a large bowl, combine your melted (and cooled!) coconut oil, sweeteners, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until they’re best friends.
- Bring It Together: Gradually add those dry ingredients to your wet mixture. Stir gently – we’re making a cake, not working out! Fold in the grated carrots and chopped pecans.
- Bake to Perfection: Divide the batter between your two cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Your kitchen will smell like heaven, I promise!
- Frosting Fantasy: While the cake cools, whip up that cream cheese frosting. Blend cream cheese and butter until they’re smooth, then add sweetener, vanilla, and a touch of heavy cream.
- The Grand Finale: Once the cake is completely cool, frost between the layers and all around. Sprinkle some extra pecans on top for that wow factor!
Baker’s Insider Tip: This cake gets even better the next day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time. The flavors will mingle and create pure keto magic!
Getting Started with Simple Swaps
Okay, so this cake uses almond flour instead of regular flour. That’s what makes it keto-friendly! If you haven’t used almond flour before, you’ll love how it gives the cake a nice, soft texture. And for the sweetness? We’re using Swerve, which is a sugar substitute. You can find it at most grocery stores now. But hey, if you have another sugar replacement you like, feel free to use that instead. Just make sure you check how sweet it is compared to real sugar, so you can adjust the amount.
Mixing it Up – Easy Peasy!
When you’re mixing the wet stuff (like the oil and eggs) with the dry stuff (the flour and spices), don’t go crazy with the mixing. Just stir until everything is blended. Overmixing can make the cake a bit tough, and we want it nice and fluffy! Oh, and those carrots! Grate them up nice and fine so they mix right into the batter. You’ll get that yummy carrot flavor in every bite.
Sweet Tips for Sweet Success
Make sure your oven is heated up before you pop those cakes in. This helps them bake evenly. And speaking of baking, every oven is a bit different, right? So start checking your cakes around 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool down in the pans for a bit before you take them out. This helps them hold their shape.
Frosting Fun – Creamy and Dreamy!
Now, for the best part – the frosting! Make sure your cream cheese and butter are soft. It makes mixing them together so much easier. You want that frosting to be smooth and creamy. If it feels too thick, just add a tiny bit more cream. And taste as you go! If you like it sweeter, add a bit more of your sweetener.
Want to Change it Up?
You can totally play around with this recipe! Add some shredded coconut to the batter for a fun twist. Or how about a pinch of ginger or cloves? Spices are your friends! And if you’re not into pecans, you can use walnuts or even leave out the nuts if you want. It’s your cake, so make it how you like it.
Serving Your Masterpiece
This cake is great for any party, or just because you want a treat! You can make it look fancy by adding extra pecans on top or some pretty carrot curls. Or keep it simple – it’s going to taste amazing no matter what.
Keeping it Fresh
If you have any cake left (which is a big “if” at my house!), just pop it in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for a few days. Let it come to room temp before you eat it, or you can even warm it up a bit in the microwave for a cozy dessert.
So there you have it! I hope you have as much fun making this cake as I do. Baking should be happy and yummy, and this Keto Carrot Cake is both! Happy baking, friends!
Keto Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 2 9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1.25 cups melted and cooled coconut oil
- 1.25 cups Swerve granulated
- 0.75 cups Swerve brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 2.5 cups finely grated carrots
- 1 cups pecans, chopped
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 0.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5-2 cups powdered sweetener, of choice
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 T heavy whipping cream
Garnish
- Whole Pecans layer along sides
- Chopped Pecans sprinkle on top
- Carrot Curls
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease with oil or butter 2 9-inch cake pans. Optionally, use parchment paper on the bottom and grease the sides.
- In a medium bowl add the almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well.
- In a large bowl add the melted and cooled coconut oil, sweeteners, vanilla, and eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients in gradually, stirring until well combined. Then stir in carrots and nuts.
- Place half the batter into each of the cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and then remove from pans.
- For the frosting: In a large bowl add the cream cheese and butter and blend until creamy. Then add in the sweetener and mix until well combined. Finally, add in the vanilla and 1T of heavy whipping cream, mixing until fluffy. Add more heavy cream if you’d like a thinner frosting.
- Spread the frosting between the cake layers and on sides using a spatula. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.