July 9, 2016

The Perfect Paleo AIP Carrot Cake

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Oh my goodness! Are you ready for this Perfect Paleo AIP Carrot Cake? I know I am so ready to share it with you.

I love carrots. I love carrots in juices, steamed, roasted, sautéed, raw, and in baked goods.

But especially in baked goods.

I mean, who doesn’t like carrot cakes, carrot cupcakes, carrot cookies, or carrot bread? Seriously. Vegetables in my dessert goodies. I could get used to that.

How could you resist a vegetable in your dessert? It makes eating sweets and treats so much more justifiable when you can say, “Hey! Wanna try a salad? I baked it into this amazing dessert.”

And your friends say, “You’re crazy! That’s cake.” And you know you are just slightly crazy, but carrots in your dessert could be argued to be a salad. Because in reality, the definition of a salad is something that has a vegetable and is healthy for you.

Am I right????

In all seriousness, carrots are incredibly good for you. We know that carrots are packed with Vitamin A, but we shouldn’t discount that carrots have a decent amount of Vitamin B6, Biotin, Potassium, Fiber, and Vitamin K. The beauty of nature’s nutrients is that they are dense and packed into some beautiful food.

And, carrots are easy to cook and a perfect snack when raw. They don’t take a lot of prep time either!

I do want to warn you though, not to peel your carrots if you can stand it! Carrot peels contain a lot of the nutrients of the vegetable, and you lose that when you throw them in the trash. Instead, take a wash cloth and scrub them under running water. You’ll get rid of most of the gritty dirt that way, but improve the nutrient value of your meals.

And, when you bake them into a Perfect Paleo AIP Carrot Cake, then you will never even notice that you didn’t peel them. This cake has so many flavors in it that a little bit of peel won’t turn off its awesomeness. What flavors, you ask? I’ve packed this cake with vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and maple syrup.

And it’s incredible when you top it with my cream cheese frosting.

So good.

Are you interested in converting your own recipes? Check out my Paleo Conversion Charts to see how you can modify any recipe!

Perfect Paleo AIP Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake Ingredients

1 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tbs gelatin powder (you can find “Gelatine” here or Great Lake Gelatin here)
1/2 cup distilled water + 1 tbs
1 cup grated, organic carrots

Equipment: Rolling pin, large circle cookie cutter, parchment paper, small saucepot, 2 medium bowls.

Takes 1 hour, serves four people.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking stone/sheet with parchment paper.
Begin by sifting all of the dry ingredients (coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt) into a medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the second mixing bowl, use a handmixer starting on low to combine maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil. Increase handmixer speed to medium high for about 1 minute and then set aside.
Prepare the gelation egg by pouring 1/2 cup water into the bottom of a saucepot. Slowly sprinkle gelatin powder over the water in the saucepot so that it all becomes wet and dissolves. If you have any spots on top that look dry, sprinkle the remaining 1 tbs of water over each spot. Set aside and let it “bloom” for five minutes.
Using handmixer, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on slow, then turn up the speed to high (you want to add air into the batter). Fold in the grated carrot. Set aside.
When five minutes have passed, place the saucepot of bloomed gelatin on the stovetop. Turn the burner on to low and let the egg melt for about 1-2 minutes. Once it is liquid, mix it into the carrot cake dough with the handmixer on high. Dough will be slightly moldable, but still fairly wet.
Use your hands to form dough into a ball, and then place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough until about two inches thick. Use a large, circle cookie cutter, or cut into squares with a knife. Using a spatula, remove from counter and place onto the sheet of parchment over the baking stone. Repeat step 7 until all of your dough it cut out.
Place the baking sheet into the oven, and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and cool for several hours on the counter. Decorate with the cream cheese frosting listed below.

Paleo Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup of coconut butter
1/2 cup of raw honey
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs lemon

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
Empty frosting into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and then place in fridge for 3-24 hours to solidify.

Enjoy!

5.0 from 2 reviews

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The Perfect Paleo AIP Carrot Cake

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup of coconut flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup maple syrup
½ cup applesauce
1½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tbs gelatin powder (you can find "Gelatine" here or Great Lake Gelatin here)
½ cup distilled water + 1 tbs
1 cup grated, organic carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup of coconut butter
½ cup of raw honey
¼ cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs lemon
Equipment: Rolling pin, large circle cookie cutter, parchment paper, small saucepot, 2 medium bowls.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking stone/sheet with parchment paper.
Begin by sifting all of the dry ingredients (coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt) into a medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the second mixing bowl, use a handmixer starting on low to combine maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil. Increase handmixer speed to medium high for about 1 minute and then set aside.
Prepare the gelation egg by pouring ½ cup water into the bottom of a saucepot. Slowly sprinkle gelatin powder over the water in the saucepot so that it all becomes wet and dissolves. If you have any spots on top that look dry, sprinkle the remaining 1 tbs of water over each spot. Set aside and let it "bloom" for five minutes.
Using handmixer, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on slow, then turn up the speed to high (you want to add air into the batter). Fold in the grated carrot. Set aside.
When five minutes have passed, place the saucepot of bloomed gelatin on the stovetop. Turn the burner on to low and let the egg melt for about 1-2 minutes. Once it is liquid, mix it into the carrot cake dough with the handmixer on high. Dough will be slightly moldable, but still fairly wet.
Use your hands to form dough into a ball, and then place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough until about two inches thick. Use a large, circle cookie cutter, or cut into squares with a knife. Using a spatula, remove from counter and place onto the sheet of parchment over the baking stone. Repeat step 7 until all of your dough it cut out.
Place the baking sheet into the oven, and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and cool for several hours on the counter. Decorate with the cream cheese frosting listed below.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
Empty frosting into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and then place in fridge for 3-24 hours to solidify.