You can have your cake and eat it too! Carrot cake hails from Medieval Europe when sugar was rare. And reserved for royals. Carrots served as sweeteners for commoners.

Today the rich and famous like supermodel, Chrissy Tiegen covet cake made with carrots. Did you catch her Instagram post about her towering carrot wedding cake?

Carrot cake is also now a common sight in Japan. Twenty years ago the dessert was hard to find. Perhaps the Japanese focus on health opened patisserie doors to carrot cake.

Carrots are superb for heart health. Here’s why:

Vitamin A
Stress apparently affects heart shape. Vitamin A suppresses the remodeling of heart tissue.

Vitamin C
The vitamin renowned for fighting colds also lowers the risk of developing heart disease.

Vitamin K
Blood clotting issues are prevented with the help of vitamin K.

The gluten-free recipe below for carrot cake bakes up into a moist but firm cake. (Use the same amount of regular flour if gluten is not a concern for you.) The chopped nuts and fresh grated carrots add wholesome goodness. The spice in the cake does compliment cream cheese frosting. To keep it healthy, I refrained my frosting enamored self from going to town. But a little bit doesn't hurt, right?

If you are a sugar fiend, this carrot cake recipe is not for you. Of course, you can always pour in another ¼ cup if you like super sweet dessert.

If baking for a Japanese friend, you might want to stick to the original recipe. In my very unscientific studies of serving my pals from Japan over the years, lower sugar desserts evoke authentic compliments. It’s true that Japanese are extremely polite. But if you’re more than an acquaintance, you’ll get honest feedback.

This carrot cake is also kid and parent friendly. Thanks to the lower sugar content, your child will not be bouncing off the walls. Also, oil and nuts assist in the absorption of vitamins A and K. You’ll notice the recipe calls for both.

Healthy Delectable Carrot Cake Dessert #GlutenFree

The gluten-free recipe below for carrot cake bakes up into a moist but firm cake. (Use the same amount of regular flour if gluten is not a concern for you.) The chopped nuts and fresh grated carrots add wholesome goodness. The spice in the cake does compliment cream cheese frosting. To keep it healthy, I refrained my frosting enamored self from going to town. But a little bit doesn’t hurt, right?

This recipe is inspired by the carrot cake at LiveWellBakeOften.com.

Ingredients:

2 cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour (spooned & leveled)
*Bob’s Red Mill One-on-One Baking Flour works well.
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ ~ 1 cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup canola oil
4 large room temperature eggs
1½ brown sugar
½ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously – very generously – spray your favorite bundt pan with coconut oil spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt and nuts. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Gently stir in the grated carrots.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350°F for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
Cool for 45 to 60 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan.
Once completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting.

Wishing you delicious health and cakes!

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#glutenfree #dessert #carrotcake #cake #healthydessert #healthy

The Ninja Baker - #glutenfree #dessert #carrotcake #cake #healthydessert #healthy

Healthy Delectable Carrot Cake Dessert #GlutenFree