I skip the refined sugars and the buttercream frosting to make this classic American diner dessert a little healthier! I use olive oil, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and medjool dates to make the cake super delicious. Labneh is used instead of cream cheese to create a super easy frosting! I highly recommend adding tangerine zest on top. The citrus flavor pairs beautifully with the richness of the carrot cake!
Servings: 1 cake (bread pan)
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans (for garnish)
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2-3 carrots)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 6 dates or 4 Medjool dates (150 g), pitted and chopped
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or melted coconut oil, walnut oil or avocado oil)
- ¼ cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 1 cup labneh or cream cheese
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of a clementine or mandarin
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan with a little olive oil and add a sheet of parchment paper to the bottom. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, gently mixing with a spatula or whisk. Add the nuts and mix until the dough is smooth (avoid overmixing - too much gluten will form).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a bowl, mix the labneh (or cream cheese) with the maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Once the cake is cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Zest a clementine or tangerine directly onto the frosting. SO good!