Healthier Carrot Cake

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:

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
5. 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!