I love all kinds of cookies, cakes and treats. In an effort to curb my sweet addiction, I decided that carrot cakes were my favorite because I thought they were healthier and because they taste so good. You too?
Turns out typically that most carrot cakes recipes have more sugar than a typical white cake. Often they’re too sweet to enjoy after the third bite.
That said, carrot cakes have been enjoyed for centuries.
Carrots have been used in sweet cakes since the medieval period, during which time sweeteners were scarce and expensive, while carrots, which contain more sugar than any other vegetable besides the sugar beet, were much easier to come by and were used to make sweet desserts.
Carrot cakes first became commonly available in restaurants and cafeterias in the United States in the early 1960s. They were at first a novelty item, but people liked them so much that carrot cake became standard dessert fare.
This cake is so popular, the Food Network listed carrot cake, with it’s cream-cheese icing, as number five of the top five fad foods. I just had to Kimplify them (aka make them healthy) and turn them into cupcakes.
They’re gluten free with no refined sugar, and are actually good for you. Plus, you can enjoy them even if you’re on a Paleo, Primal, or even HCG phase 3 diet.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
(Gluten Free • No Refined Sugar) Paleo • Primal • HCG Phase 3
Ingredients
Cake
5 whole Carrot, Raw, peeled and shredded 1 cup Maple Syrup, Grade B
3/4 cup Coconut Flour, sifted
1 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Sea Salt
10 Eggs, Pastured 10 Dates (pitted)
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Coconut Oil, Organic, melted
Glycerin (food grade) optional
2 cup Cream Cheese Frosting recipe
1 cup Walnuts or Pecans, Organic, chopped for garnish Fresh Mints Leaves
Icing
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Maple Syrup, Grade B
16 oz Cream Cheese, Full Fat
2 Tbsp Ginger Root, grated
Instructions
Cake
In a food processor, using the grating blade, shred carrots.
Place carrots in a large ziplock bag.
Pour maple syrup over carrots and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a small mixing bowl, add sifted coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
Make date mixture with 10 medjool dates and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
In a large mixing bowl or kitchen mixer, blend eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, glyercin, and date mixture. Add dry ingredients to wet and blend.
Remove carrots from the fridge, and drain the excess maple syrup from the carrots using a colander.
Stir grated carrots into cake batter.
Line muffin pans with orange cupcake liners
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes.
Test press cake tops, if bounces back they are done.
Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rake to contine cooling for 15 minutes before icing.
Icing
Allow cream cheese to come up to room temperature.
Blend cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, and ginger with a hand mixer or kitchen mixer.
Add in food coloring o=to make orange color. Combination of yellow and red.
Or use carrot juice sparingly to get to desired color.
Use right away, or refrigerate.
Frost cupcakes using decorator nozzle and pastry bag, or use knife. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Top with fresh mint to look like carrot tops.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
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