Here is one carrot and cauliflower collaboration you won’t ever forget. It’s cauliflower carrot cake! Sweet, soft and incredibly tender, this is a straightforward, almost fail-proof recipe that only requires you to mix all the ingredients together and bake. Thanks to the cinnamon and nutty sweet almond flour, you won’t even know there’s cauliflower inside.
A lot of people don’t believe me when I tell them, but I used to be a stubbornly picky eater back when I was a kid. In fact, I don’t think I even had one veggie I liked! I ate them, sure, only because I had to. But never willingly.
That’s why it’s so surprising that I would be the one to make this cake, and that I’d be the one to share it. I mean, CAULIFLOWER in CAKE? 10 year old me would wretch at the very idea! And seriously, what’s happened to me?
Thankfully, people (these days, at least! ) are used to carrots, zucchini, pumpkin and sweet potatoes being in their cakes. So why not cauliflower?
So here’s me hoping that this beautiful dessert won’t scare people away because of the cauliflower. The cauliflower has a neutral flavor that blends well with the carrots and the cinnamon flavor throughout the cake. My favorite part of this recipe is that you can use frozen cauliflower rice. It’s why you won’t have to worry about chunks of white cauliflower being visible throughout the cake.
Oh, and by the way, there are two versions of this cake on my blog. The page you’re on is the paleo version that’s made with almond flour. There’s another version I made for a nut-free diet, and that one is made with oatmeal (or plain/whole wheat flour) instead of the almond flour. This paleo one is my favorite because it’s soft and fudgy. But I think the cake made with oatmeal might be a fan favorite, too, especially because the whole cake can be prepared in a blender!
Anyway, hope you get enjoy these two recipes as much as I did. It was so good I almost put my old go-to carrot cake recipe card in the trash.
Ingredients Used to Make This Cauliflower Carrot Cake
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Almond flour – I used blanched almond flour. But you can also make your own by blending raw or blanched, slivered almonds in the food processor and sifting them through a sieve.
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour does not substitute well, and I can’t recommend swapping coconut flour with other ingredients unless you absolutely had to (2 Tbsp coconut flour = ½ cup almond flour). Unfortunately, you probably won’t get the same texture or mouthfeel as the original recipe.
- Carrot – Known for their high beta carotene, vitamin K1, and potassium, carrots are full of fiber and antioxidants and make great crunchy midday snacks! I used thinly shred the carrots for this recipe so that they’re well incorporated with the other ingredients. I used a box shredder/ grater like this one.
- Cauliflower rice – they’re sold in the frozen vegetable aisle, but you can make your own by pulsing cauliflower a few times in a food processor like this one.
- Eggs – I used regular large eggs. I haven’t tried using egg replacements like flax or chia yet, so you might not get the same results if you decide to substitute.
- Salt – Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Coconut Sugar – You can use any granulated sugar of your choice, but coconut, date and maple sugars are less processed sugars I would recommend. Honey and maple syrup should also work. For a lower calorie option, I’ve used sugar-free sweeteners with good results, such as stevia (just be sure to convert according to package instructions).
- Olive Oil – Instead of olive oil, you can use coconut oil, or avocado oil here if you’d like.
For the Add-Ins, I used:
- Walnuts and Raisins – these are absolutely substitute-able. I love the chew and extra nutrition they provide to the cake and there are plenty of other ingredients that can be used instead. For example, you can use cranberries (I recommend the lower sugar kind) or chopped dates or dried figs if you don’t have raisins. You can use pecans if you don’t have walnuts.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins for Cauliflower Carrot Cake:
- I used walnuts and raisins for this recipe, but you’re welcome to use different dried fruits and nuts, as long as they’re kept under 1 cup.
- Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake? Sounds delicious. Instead of the raisins, just fold in some chocolate chips to the batter.
- Do you like Chai or Cardamom? Cardamom Apple Cake, or Chai Pumpkin Cake by adding Chai Tea Powder. You can also use pumpkin pie spice.
- You can also bake this in a muffin pan instead of a cake pan.
How to Make this Healthier
- Looking to lower calories? You can substitute 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 2 Tbsp of coconut flour to lower calories slightly. I wouldn’t substitute more than this, however.
- Want to increase fiber? Add a Tablespoon of ground flaxseed!
- You can also reduce the sugar by half (to make this less sweet), or substitute the sugar with a sugar-free substitute.
What are some ways you can eat Cauliflower Carrot Cake?
- Plain and warm, unfrosted
- Frosted with cream cheese frosting (recipe below) or my 2-Ingredient Almond Butter Frosting
- Dusted with powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar. Just make sure you use a sieve to sift the sugar on top!
How to Store
- I recommend that you store this cauliflower carrot cake in the fridge. You can leave them uncovered if you plan to eat them in less than a day, but for longer storage, cover loosely in plastic wrap or a large airtight (cake size) container up to 4 days. You can also freeze the slices up to 4 months. When ready to eat, defrost overnight in the fridge and enjoy 🙂
Final Tips
- Use finely shredded carrots for the best texture
- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use parchment to line the cake pan (bottom and sides) before baking, and preferably a cake pan with a removable bottom for easy removal. I am stressing this because the cake is tender and you could end up damaging the cake if you aren’t careful taking the cake out of the cake pan. If you don’t have either options available, however, you could do these THREE things to make this easier. (1) grease the cake pan really well with oil before baking. (2) divide the cake batter into two cake pans instead of one. (3) cool the cake in the fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight so that the cake is more firm and easier to work with.
- Use batter right away after prep. They will deflate over time, so I’ve found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
- Baking time (as well as serving size) will vary based on the size of your cake pan, the material (silicone vs metal) of the pan, and the thickness of your cake. Bake the cauliflower carrot cake until the center is cooked through. You can check by inserting a clean toothpick or cake tester into the center and making sure it comes out clean.
You Might Also Like these Cake Recipes
Paleo Cauliflower Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar of choice*
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- 1 cup grated carrots sort of packed? 105 grams
- 1 cup cauliflower rice frozen
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
Frosting
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup powdered almond butter
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar of choice
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Line two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350F **
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl
- Add the wet ingredients
- Divide the batter into the two cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes until the center is cooked through, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If using just one cake pan, increase the baking time to 50-60 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely before taking them out of the pans as it'll be very tender. If time permits, chill the cake in the fridge before assembling/frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Blend all the frosting ingredients in the food processor (or bowl) until smooth.
Assemble
- Spread the frosting on one layer of cake with 1/3 of the frosting, top with the second cake layer and use the rest to frost over the top and sides of the cake. Top the cake with chopped pecans or dried fruits. Let the cake chill in the fridge for about an hour before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
I found this on my Instagram feed. Saving it for later
Thank you!
This turned out better than I thought it would! It was actually my first time making homemade carrot cake with cauliflower so I was worried it might not turn out right but I couldn’t really notice it. Next time I want to try and bake it as a one-sheet cake since it was hard stacking the cakes.
Hey Lee, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I think a one layer cake would be an awesome idea 🙂