Name: Paleo Carrot Cake with 'Buttercream" Frosting (Nut Free, AIP)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Paleo
Ingredients: 72 grams coconut oil (1/3 cup) melted & cooled; 110 grams tigernut flour (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons); 70 grams arrowroot starch or tapioca starch (1/2 cup); 30 grams coconut flour (1/4 cup); 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ginger; 1/8 teaspoon cloves; 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk; 1/4 cup applesauce; 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1 cup raw shredded carrots (80 grams); 1/3 cup chopped dates or raisins; 2 gelatin eggs made by using directions below (flax eggs can be used for vegan)*; 3 tablespoons warm water; 2 Tablespoons grass fed gelatin; 3 Tablespoons very hot water; 1/3 cup palm oil shortening room temp, softened but still solid; 1/4 cup coconut oil refined, softened but still solid; 3 Tablespoons raw honey or pure maple syrup*; 3 Tablespoons tapioca flour; 1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract; Pinch fine grain sea salt

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A moist, sweet, nut free cake loaded with shredded carrots, topped with a dairy-free “buttercream” frosting. It’s AIP, gluten free, nut free, dairy free, but so incredibly delicious you’d never guess! Also a vegan option.

I love carrot cake, it’s like a vegetable and a cake combined. When topped with a rich ‘buttercream’ frosting, it’s heavenly. The perfect cake to embrace this spring.

Most paleo carrot cakes use eggs and almond flour which is definitely delicious. But since I’m eating an AIP diet I set out to make a great carrot cake that’s nut free, seed free, gluten free and egg free.

After a few tries this recipe came out so good. It’s the carrot cake of my dreams and my family loves it.

How does this API Carrot Cake taste?

It’s tender, moist and cakey, sweetened with maple syrup, It’s loaded with sweet carrots and each bite has the classic taste of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

This is a legit carrot cake, my friends, in all its sweet orange glory, not just for paleo and AIP people.

The cake is really good without the frosting but the dairy free ‘buttercream’ frosting elevates it to the sublime.

Nut Free Flours Used in this Paleo Carrot Cake

There are a few special nut free and gluten free flours used for this AIP carrot cake, here is a quick overview:

Tigernut Flour – Tiger nut flour is a starchy powder made from a root vegetable (chufa) not a nut as its name implies. This means anyone with nut allergies can enjoy tiger nut products. It has a slightly nutty taste, and a nutty texture similar to almond flour. It’s a great source of resistant starch, a prebiotic fibre that feeds the good bacteria in our gut. Arrowroot Powder – Arrowroot powder is a grain free, easy to digest starch that’s naturally gluten-free, grain-free, nut free, vegan and paleo-friendly. It is extracted from the rhizomes of a tropical plant known as Maranta arundinacea. It’s used to add texture and softness to the cake.

Coconut Flour – Coconut flour is a grain free flour that is made from dried coconut meat. It’s extremely high in fiber, and absorbs a lot of liquid during baking to give the cake structure.

I highly recommend using a scale to measure the flour for any type of AIP/paleo/gluten-free baking because the weight of the flour is adjusted just perfectly for the amount of liquid. If you decide to use a measuring cup, don’t pack the flour in. Take a spoon and add the flour to the cup, then level off.

Since we’re not using eggs I needed to find a replacement. The most common egg replacers are chia seeds and flax seeds. Many vegan cakes use them. But, for those who are on the AIP, or those who simply cannot tolerate seeds in any form, we need something else to bind the cake together.

Enter the gelatin egg. It’s a great binder. I find that it blends in even more smoothly than seed ‘eggs’. Gelatin is also is SUPER good for you too. Read about the Healing Benefits of Gelatin.

How to Make A Gelatin Egg

Making a gelatin egg is SO easy and you’ll be amazed at how well it works as an egg replacement in recipes. Be sure to use grass fed gelatin. I like Vital Proteins. For vegans there is a recipe for a vegan egg in the recipe card.

Pour 3 tablespoons of water into a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons gelatin and let sit 1 minute. The gelatin will begin to bloom. Mix it to together until the gelatin is wet and mostly dissolved. It will be very thick.
Pour 3 tablespoons hot water over the mixture and whisk vigorously using a mini whisk or fork. You will see the gelatin start to dissolve.
Mix until there are no more lumps
Let the gelatin “egg” sit for 1 minute then mix again and add to your recipe. Work quickly to mix it into the batter or it will get very thick.

Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting

For the (optional) frosting, I use palm oil and coconut oil flavored with vanilla and honey for natural sweetness. The result is a luxurious, ‘buttercream frosting” that sits nice and thick on top of the cake.

Coconut whipped cream can be used as an alternative topping.

A lot of the palm oil available comes from companies that destroy our rain forests and cause deforestation.

It is important to buy only responsibly harvested oil from the red palm fruit with absolutely no deforestation, habitat destruction, or monocropping. Look for Fair for Life Certified red palm oil. The certification leverages long-term partnerships to create stability and resiliency within supply chains. I like this brand it’s a mix of red palm oil and coconut oil.

I use refined coconut oil for a less coconuty taste.

Honey makes the frosting lighter in color then maple syrup but either one is good.

The ‘buttercream’ frosting is easy to make. You need an electric mixer.

I hope you LOVE this cake as much as I do, it’s sooo good; super healthy, perfectly spiced, moist with just the right amount of sweetness.

This is a wonderful healthy cake to have around for spring parties, birthdays, bridal showers, and more!

If you like this recipe, try these other delicious nut free desserts:

Blueberry Panna Cotta ( Paleo, Dairy Free, Nut free, Vegan Option)

Apple Raspberry Cobbler (AIP, Nut Free, Vegan, Paleo)

Fresh Lemon Bars (Nut Free, Paleo)

Easy Blueberry Compote (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

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