Low-Sugar, Whole-Grain Carrot Cake

This lower-sugar, whole-grain carrot cake may be a healthy option, but it’s a treat. It’s lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, moist from carrots and pineapple, and just as fun as always with cream cheese frosting. 

Here’s why it’s healthier than traditional carrot cake.

• It has olive oil instead of butter
• It has one-third the amount of added sugar as some recipes.
• It has whole grains.
• The frosting is high in protein and low in fat and sugar, with cottage cheese and vanilla

Variations and Serving Suggestions

• For a dairy-free cake, use almond milk in the batter. For the frosting, puree together 2 cups of soaked cashews, ¼ cup of maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
• For cupcakes, line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill them ⅔ full and reduce baking time to 15-20 minutes. Frost when cooled. 
• For a smaller cake, make half the recipe and have only one layer. 
• For a gluten-free or lower-carb option, use almond flour instead of whole-wheat flour.
• For different flavors, try brown sugar, honey, or agave syrup instead of 
• For decoration, add shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips, fresh mint leaves, or thinly sliced lemon on top of the cake before serving.
• For texture, try stirring in 1 apple, chopped and cooked, to the batter. 
• For a breakfast treat, omit the frosting. Serve the cake with berries and scrambled egg whites, peanut butter, or cottage cheese.

Recipe for Low-Sugar, Whole-Grain Carrot Cake

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups of whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking power
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• Dash of cloves (optional)
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of stevia
• 1 cup of ripe mashed banana (about 2 small or 1 large)
• ½ cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 4 cups of grated carrots
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Frosting

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt or ¾ cup of regular plain yogurt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Dash of cinnamon
• Stevia to taste, if desired

Instructions

1. Make the frosting by beating together the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and flour them with 1 tablespoon of flour (or almond meal).
3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves if using. 
4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, banana, milk, and vanilla extract. 
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the carrots and nuts if using.
6. Add the batter to the two pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before removing from pans and frosting. 
7. Use half the frosting as a filling between the two layers, and the rest of the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Add any toppings. 

Nutrition information per serving: 270 calories; 9 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat; 30 mg of cholesterol; 220 mg of sodium; 43 grams of carbohydrates; 17 grams of sugar; 6 grams of fiber; 9 grams of protein

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