This recipe was born out of a little cold-weather Procrastibaking—an excuse to spend an afternoon in the kitchen when I should have been working. It’s a super-moist double-layer cake made with oat and coconut flours, almond meal, applesauce, coconut sugar, carrots, walnuts, and raisins, with plenty of cardamom and orange zest woven throughout. The combination is inspired by the warm, aromatic flavors I love in Middle Eastern and Lebanese cooking, where cardamom, citrus, orange blossom, nuts, and dried fruit often come together. Gluten-free and refined sugar-free, it feels a little more palatable than the painfully sugary versions you often come across.
Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, I top the cake with a tangy orange blossom labneh frosting. Labneh is a thick, strained yogurt traditionally enjoyed throughout the Middle East, and its slight tang balances the sweetness of the cake beautifully. I have a soft spot in my heart (and belly!) for carrot cake. So much so, this is the recipe I usually pull out for my annual birthday cake bake.
PREP: 30 min + 24–48 hrs labneh prep | COOK: 40–50 min | YIELD: 1 8-inch double-layer cake, about 12 servings
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Dry Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour
½ cup coconut flour
½ cup almond meal
2 cups coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon mineral salt
Carrot Cake Wet Ingredients:
4 organic local eggs, whisked (or 4 flax eggs)
1 cup olive oil (or melted ghee)
1 cup organic applesauce
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
Orange Blossom Labneh Frosting:
4 cups organic plain full-fat yogurt (or 2 cups labneh)
2 tablespoons local raw honey
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or paste (1 vanilla bean scraped)
Instructions
Make the Labneh Frosting: If using yogurt rather than prepared labneh, begin 24–48 hours ahead. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl. Add the yogurt, fold the cheesecloth over the top, and refrigerate for 24–48 hours, until thick and creamy. Discard or reserve the whey for another use.
About 1 hour before frosting the cake, transfer the strained yogurt or labneh to a bowl and let it come to room temperature. Stir in the honey, orange zest, orange blossom water, and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch springform cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides with olive oil or ghee.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, coconut flour, almond meal, coconut sugar, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the olive oil, applesauce, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir in the grated carrots, walnuts, and raisins.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 20 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread an even layer of orange blossom frosting over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides as desired. Finish with a drizzle of honey, orange zest, and chopped walnuts.
Cooking Notes
Strain the yogurt well: For a thick, spreadable frosting, allow the yogurt to strain for the full 24–48 hours. If using prepared labneh, you can skip this step and go straight to mixing the frosting.
Grate the carrots finely: Finely grated carrots distribute more evenly throughout the cake and release enough moisture to keep the crumb tender. Avoid squeezing out the carrot juice.
Cool completely before frosting: The cake needs to be completely cool before assembly or the frosting will soften and slide. You can bake the layers a day ahead and refrigerate them until you're ready to assemble.
Dosha Notes
V: Enjoy when digestion is strong
P: Strain yogurt for 24 hours for less tart labneh
K: Enjoy in moderation
Nutrition
(Per serving)
Calories: 500–530 kcal
Protein: 13–16 g
Fat: 25–29 g
Carbs: 66–72 g
Sugar: 40–45 g
Fiber: 7–9 g
Shop Kitchen Essentials
Oat Flour
Orange Blossom Water
Ground Cardamom
