Flourless Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this lovely carrot cake for Caleb's birthday last week and it turned out so well, I thought I'd share. The recipe, not the cake, because we didn't have any trouble finishing it, believe you me. The cake is unusual because it is flourless. That's right, I said flourless. I don't do very well with flour of any kind any more, and corn starch is out, too, which left me in search of a yummy cake as well as a frosting (powdered sugar has corn starch). A word of warning: this makes for a sinfully decadent treat. It is not by any stretch of the imagination a low-fat concoction. But, for that once-a-year indulgence, it's just perfect.

For Carrot Cake (the recipe makes one 9" cake. I made two and stacked them for that extra wow-factor)

Grease the bottom of a 9" springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper.

Preheat your oven to 350.

You will need:
8 oz. finely ground almond meal
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 t lemon zest
1 1/2 t baking powder***
1/8 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
4 eggs
1/3 sugar
1 t vanilla
2 cups finely grated carrots (or 10 oz.)


***UPDATE: since I first found this, I discovered that baking powder is partly made up of cornstarch. This is, of course a problem is you are very sensitive to corn, as I am. I discovered an appropriate substitution. For every 1 teaspoon of baking powder called for substitute 1/2 teaspoon baking soda+1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Works like a charm!


In a food processor, pulse the almond meal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined.

With a hand or stand mixer, whip the eggs in another bowl until thick. Add the sugar and beat until thick and creamy (about 4 minutes). Add the vanilla. Next alternately add the almond meal mixture and the carrots and stir until combined.

Pour batter into your pan and bake in preheated oven until the center of your cake is firm and the sides have pulled away from the pan, about an hour. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, before removing the ring of your pan. When completely cooled, wrap up in plastic and store in the fridge.

For frosting you will need:
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups whipping cream*

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add the whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture. Spread on a thoroughly chilled cake. Makes enough for a two-layer 9" round cake. The frosting is softer than a standard frosting, and not nearly as sweet. It is, however, very creamy and I found it perfectly balanced the warm spice of the carrot cake.

*I used a metal bowl to whip the cream. I chilled the bowl and my whisks in the freezer beforehand.

If you try it, let me know, I'd love to hear if you liked it.

With love,
The Professor's Wife