A healthier carrot cake recipe made with whole wheat, apple sauce, less sugar and covered in the most delicious naturally sweetened yogurt and cream cheese frosting. It is the perfect birthday cake for carrot cake lovers who wants less sugar.
Carrot cakes are most popular around Easter and springtime in the United States. The best carrot cakes are delicate moist and rich. This healthier take on carrot cake is as delicious, you’ll never miss the extra sugar, fat or the white flour!

Healthy Carrot Cake

A lighter version of the traditional carrot cake, perfect sweetness, moist with a little molasses flavor. The healthier aspect of this carrot cake makes it a great recipe without the guilt of eating something so sugary or fatty!

I was not raised to carrot cakes and definitely not my husband too. I’ve known about carrot cakes only when we landed here in the US. Carrot cakes are America’s favorite cake specially around this time of the year, obviously there is a strong relation between Easter bunny and carrots :).

My youngest is obsessed with carrot cakes and he always asks for one on his birthday. My oldest only likes chocolate cakes and the middle one eats carrot cakes only because of the cream cheese frosting!. 
One of my concerns as a mom is my kids’ health. I do believe that moderation is the key, too much sweets are not good and no sweets at all is also not good. But this time of the year, we have so many celebrations in my little family and this involves cakes almost every 10 days through April.

So I bet you can see now the need for a little healthier treats through this cake spree.

Carrot cake FAQs

Healthier Carrot Cake : step by step

Notes about healthy carrot cake

• The frosting is a little bit soft, If you need a more stiff frosting to make flowers and more decorative shapes, you’ll need to add some powdered sugar. I’ve used a lot of icing as I’ve made a two tier birthday cake. You can bake in a 13×9 pan and only use half of the icing or just dust the top with some powdered sugar instead of frosting, or maybe even healthier and skip the frosting all together.
• Cake and frosting are not too sweet like the ones we usually get at the stores. For us it was just right and we did not even miss the extra sugar. I had leftover frosting which my kids put to a good use :). They scooped more on their cake pieces, but guess what? I was not freaking out and yelling at them to stop.

You may need

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If you are going to make a birthday cake these 8″ baking pans. Wilton are known for their reliable baking pans and these are one of my favorite for making birthday cakes.

Other cake recipes we like

• Chocolate Pumpkin bundt cake.
• Pumpkin bundt cake.
• Chocolate biscuit cake.

If you are looking for a gluten free carrot cake recipe, check out this recipe from Monique.

I hope you’ll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
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5 from 2 votes

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Healthy carrot cake

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

With this healthy carrot cake recipe, you can still celebrate and stay in shape.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy, moist

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 335.3 kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 4 eggs.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar.
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar.
• 3/4 cup apple sauce.
• 1/4 cup oil.
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour.
• 2 teaspoon baking soda.
• 2 teaspoon baking powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• 3 cups grated carrots.
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped (optional).

For the cream cheese frosting and filling**

• 1/2 cup raw honey.
• 2 8oz cream cheese, room temperature.
• 2 5oz vanilla greek yogurt cups.

Instructions

1. Directions:
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and dust two 8 inch round cake pans or 9×13 inch pan.
3. In a deep bowl, beat eggs and vanilla then add both brown and white sugar and continue beating.
4. Add oil then apple sauce and mix well.
5. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix.
7. Finally fold in the carrots and pecan if using.
8. Bake in the prepared pan(s) until done.*
9. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a bowl beat cream cheese, yogurt and honey until well combined. Refrigerate until the cake is done and cooled.
10. Cut the cake in two halves if you are going to fill it.
11. Add half the filling over one half and cover with the other half
12. Decorate with the rest of the frosting.
13. Refrigerate to set for a couple of hours before serving.
14. Enjoy!!

Recipe Notes

* Mine took 35 minutes in two 8Inch round pans.
** If you will not fill the cake and only will be icing it then use only half of the icing ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy carrot cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 335.3 Calories from Fat 156

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.3g 27%

Cholesterol 78.1mg 26%

Total Carbohydrates 42.9g 14%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 26g

Protein 7.6g 15%

Vitamin A 9.6%

Vitamin C 0.1%

Calcium 17.1%

Iron 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.