Pineapple Carrot Cake
Is it possible to have cake envy? YES. And I swear that’s exactly what you’re feeling right now looking at this photo 😉 This pineapple carrot cake is so decadent, yet it’s super healthy all at the same time. Honestly… it’s the best cake I’ve ever had in my life, healthy or not!
So the story goes my mom and I were at Ba Juice, our favorite little restaurant in Puerto Rico. One day we spotted the elegant glass tray of carrot cake smothered with beautifully fluffy cream cheese frosting. It was picture perfect. Of course being the foodies we are, we asked about it, and the girl told us it was one of their daily top sellers. Oh man…. it took so much strength for my mom and I not to share a piece. But while it looked awesome, we knew under that mask of deliciousness there was a ton of white flour, sugar, and icky feelings of guilt. So what did we do? Yup, we came home and made our own! And since it turned out to be so delicious, we couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you.
The Frosting
Taking inspiration from the classic cream cheese frosting you see on carrot cakes, we made a healthy version using Greek yogurt. The trick is to strain the Greek yogurt through a cheese cloth to make it extra thick, just like cream cheese frosting. The slight tartness and refreshing flavor of the Greek yogurt is the perfect compliment to the sweetness of the pineapple. There’s also a hint of lemon juice, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and just a touch of maple syrup in the yogurt. These ingredients bring out the freshness of the yogurt and balance the flavors of the cake. So trust me when I say you’re going to want to eat all this frosting before it even makes it’s way onto the cake!
Pineapple Carrot Cake with Maple Yogurt Frosting
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Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour (I used Heritage Blend)
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. each sea salt and cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. each nutmeg and all spice
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. black strap molasses
- 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
- 1.5 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 2.5 cups (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- Frosting: 2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 tsp. maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. lemon zest, 1 tsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Stir in carrots, pineapple, and walnuts.
- Slowly add the flour mixture (a little at a time) and fold it into the wet ingredients. But don’t over mix!
- Spray a pan with avocado oil spray, or grease with melted coconut oil. Add the batter to a pan, then bake for 40-50 minutes, or until done.
- As the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Slice the cake and top with Greek yogurt frosting as you’re serving. Enjoy!
Notes
To make the frosting even thicker, strain the Greek yogurt through a cheese cloth before mixing in the maple syrup.
