This super moist healthy carrot cake recipe uses whole ingredients, and gets its unique texture from special ingredient. Pineapple!
I decided it was three year old Corban’s turn to take over as teacher, and show his 14 month old sister Larkin how to make a cake. So here’s their step by step instructions for this healthy carrot cake recipe.
CORBAN’S HEALTHY CARROT CAKE RECIPE
C: First you need eggs, lots and lots of eggs. They’re the best part of a recipe because I always get to crack them.
L: Eggs? I love eggs! I can eat so many eggs!
C: Hmmm, I think these eggs come straight from the farm. They’re kind of dirty.
L: Eeeeeeeegggggggggggssssssss!
C: To crack an egg, you hold it gently and hit it hard, then pull it apart really carefully. I started cracking eggs when I was two, so you have to wait a few months.
L: Wow, he’s REALLY good at cracking eggs.
C: An important part of cooking is tasting your ingredients. To make this a healthy carrot cake recipe, we are using white whole wheat flour. It tastes good and nutty.
L: That was so good! Can I just lick that cup?
C: Now we are adding sucanat. It’s a natural sweetener made from dehydrating sugar cane juice. It has all the molasses in it to make our healthy carrot cake recipe full of extra minerals and vitamins.
L: Did you say sugar?
L: I think I need to do a little more tasting.
C: Now we add the grated carrots. This is what makes it a carrot cake.
C: What do you think Larkin? I love carrots too.
L: I think we need some more carrots brother.
C: Now we dump in the pineapple. It’s what makes our healthy carrot cake recipe so moist!
L: What did you say? I’m really enjoying the leftover carrots.
C: Okay sister, it’s time to start mixing!
L: Whoa! What am I making?!
C: After mama greases the pan, we get to shake more whole wheat flour ALL over it to keep the cake from sticking.
L: And when mama and brother go get a spatula, I get to climb on the table while no one is watching!
HEALTHY CARROT CAKE WITH NATURAL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
And that is how I learned that our barely turn one year old is a dare devil climber. That is also how I realized it was nap time since she threw the hugest of fits when I pulled her down. She has got some lungs!
As they napped, I baked the cake then let it cool while whipping up a batch of natural cream cheese frosting.
I topped the frosting with some more chopped pecans and the leftover bits of shredded carrots.
I love the texture of this carrot cake, because it’s so different than one you’d make with a boxed mix.
Rather than light and fluffy, it’s nutritionally dense and jam packed with carrots, pineapple, and pecans. It’s also sweet, satisfying, and oh so good! Now it’s time to go wake the kiddos before I eat the whole thing myself!
KITCHEN TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS
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Super Moist Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe
This healthy carrot cake recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour and sucanat (dehydrated cane juice) in addition to healthy fruits and veggies. You can substitute all purpose flour and brown sugar (one for one) but know that it will change the nutrition of the cake quite a bit. Adapted from Food.com
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sucanat
- 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups finely grated raw carrots
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 20 ounce (1 can) crushed pineapple
- 1 cup rough chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon salt
Additional Ingredients:
- natural spray oil
- 1 Tablespoon white whole wheat flour
- 1 batch Natural Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup finely grated carrots
- 1/4 cup rough chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Mix all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Use the spray oil to grease the inside of a 9x13 baking pan, then add the tablespoon of flour and shake the pan to coat it completely.
- Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool ten minutes, then spread with the cream cheese frosting.
- Sprinkle the frosting with carrots and pecans.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
18 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 263Saturated Fat: 2.78gCholesterol: 39.97mgSodium: 238.88mgCarbohydrates: 41.71gFiber: 3.8gSugar: 10.77gProtein: 4.79g
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Do you think this would work with gluten free flour?
Not sure. I know there are things that need to be added to gluten free flour. Maybe someone else in the comments has tried?
Fabulous cake! The pineapple really adds plenty of sweetness and the flavor is incredible!