Do you have the same birthday cake every year or do you like trying a new one each time?

While I admit that every few years I like to mix it up with a chocolate Ganache cake, for the most part I have a carrot cake for my birthday. And not just any carrot cake. My mom’s super moist, absolutely decadent carrot cake topped with rich cream cheese frosting. This cake has been my all-time favorite for years; in my opinion, you can’t get any better than the flavor combination of cinnamon, cream cheese, and butter found in carrot cake.

That being said, I think you can see why it’s hard for me to limit my consumption of Carrot Cake to once a year, on my birthday. And even though I’ve gotten making carrot cake down to a science, and can whip it up in less than three hours, I unfortunately lack the ability to control myself around this favorite dessert of mine.

Meaning, I have two options here. Either never eat carrot cake (shudder) or come up with a healthier version of carrot cake that I can enjoy every once in a while without much guilt!

This Gluten Free Carrot Cake fills that bill perfectly! It still has all the moistness of carrot cake due to the extra carrots I included in the recipe, the classic cinnamon flavor, and even decadent cream cheese icing… but doesn’t include any butter, sugar, or white flour! Instead, I swapped in gluten free flour (plus xanthan gum to act as a binding agent), a bit of coconut oil and applesauce for moistness, and honey as a healthier, less processed alternative.

Now, I must remind you that this cake is healthier than classic carrot cake, as well as gluten free. So it’s a bit denser than classic carrot cake. However, it’s still absolutely delicious and a much better-for-you alternative to classic cake (which is packed with tons of sugar, flour, and butter). And when topped with your favorite cream cheese icing, this cake actually tastes exactly like high-calorie carrot cake! Personally, my favorite part of the cake is the icing. Meaning, I would rather have a healthier cake that’s balanced out by decadent icing, than vice versa!

If you’re this kind of person too, then this cake is, without a doubt, the perfect thing for you!

Moist Gluten Free Carrot Cake

• 2 c gluten free flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (or ground flax seeds)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp all spice
• 4 egg whites (or about 3 eggs)
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 c stevia (or sugar)
• 1 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 c melted coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 c unsweetened coconut milk (or other milk of choice)
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2-3 c grated carrots (the more carrots you use, the moister the cake will be)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 3 9″ cake pans. Add egg whites, honey, stevia, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla to a large bowl and stir together. Add flour, xanthan gum (or ground flax seeds), baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and all spice to the wet ingredients. Then add milk and vinegar. Stir until smooth. Fold in grated carrots. Seperate mixture evenly into cake pans and spread out with a spatula. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Flip one of the layers onto a cake plate and ice with cream cheese icing of your choice. Place other layer on top and finish icing cake. Sprinkle with lightly toasted shredded coconut and pecans. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 150

Fat: 5g

Carbs: 27g

Protein: 3g

(Yields a 15 servings)

Nutrition information does not include icing, as the nutrition information of the icing varies depending on what recipe you use.