This Keto Carrot Cake Is Cream-Cheese-Frosted and Only 3 Net Carbs Per Serving
Cookbookmarked! is our series where we review the latest cookbooks from the foodie influencers you follow. Check back often to find out which new releases are worth your hard-earned cash and the recipes you should try first from each.
If you’re a keto dieter desperately missing the sweet wonders of cake and cookies, you should order Keto Fat Bombs, Sweets & Treats ($15) faster than you can say “net carbs.” Written by Urvashi Pitre, the blogger behind Two Sleevers, the book provides keto guidelines, nutritional information, and more than 100 low-carb dessert recipes all with 5 or fewer net carbs per serving. There is no better source of wisdom and deliciousness for the keto dieter with a sweet tooth. You’ll see what we mean when you make Pitre’s recipe for keto carrot cake below, which you can frost generously with your choice of low-carb cream cheese frosting or maple-pecan buttercream.
Pitre prefaces Keto Fat Bombs, Sweets & Treats with the importance of planning your meals, calculating your macros, and balancing your diet with nutritious foods for successful weight loss on the keto diet. Clearly, she doesn’t condone eating things like maple-nut blondies and cinnamon mug cake for every meal. But when it is time for dessert, bake this pecan-flecked keto carrot cake, and save the accompanying frosting recipes for any other dessert you plan to make.
keto carrot cake
(Serves 8)
Cook Time: 1 hour
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 281 / Total Fat: 27 grams / Total Carbs: 14 grams / Net Carbs: 3 grams / Fiber: 3 grams / Sugar: 2 grams / Protein: 7 grams
Macros: 86% Fat / 4% Carbs / 9% Protein
I get into trouble with readers sometimes when I suggest recipes with the slightest amount of carrot. But you know what? If you want to avoid a bit of carrot in your cake while on keto, you can omit it, or add drained zucchini or whatever else you prefer. But if you’re craving carrot cake, you may be willing to enjoy this cake, given that the 1 tablespoon of carrots per serving of this keto cake is less likely to play havoc with your insulin or blood sugar than succumbing to a sugar-laden one.
Ingredients:
- keto cooking spray
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup superfine almond flour
- 1/3 cup Truvía granulated sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1/4 cup solid coconut oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, apple pie spice, coconut oil, and cream. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until the mixture is fluffy. Fold in the carrots and pecans.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack. If desired, top with cream cheese frosting (recipe below) and additional pecans before serving.
KETO cream cheese frosting
(Serves 24)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 53 / Total Fat: 5 grams / Total Carbs: 7 grams / Net Carbs: 1 gram / Fiber: 0 grams / Sugar: 0 grams / Protein: 1 gram
Macros: 91% Fat / 4% Carbs / 5% Protein
Classic cream cheese frosting is the perfect fat-and-flavor bomb. I’ve provided lots of different variations for you, but feel free to experiment with your own favorites. If you find something that works, be sure to come to my Facebook group and share it with others!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups Swerve confectioners’ sweetener
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and cream with an electric mixer on medium for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and beat on low until incorporated. Add 1 cup of the sweetener and beat on low until smooth and fluffy. Add more sweetener as needed until the frosting is the desired consistency.
Variations:
- To Make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: Reduce the cream cheese to 4 ounces and add 1/4 cup creamy no-sugar-added peanut butter.
- To Make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the cream cheese. Add an additional 1/4 cup cream, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
- To Make Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting: Instead of vanilla extract, use 2 to 3 tablespoons amaretto or 1 teaspoon almond extract.
- To Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest.
- To Make Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1 tablespoon espresso powder with the cream.
KETO maple-pecan buttercream
(Serves 24)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 76 / Total Fat: 8 grams / Total Carbs: 4 grams / Net Carbs: 1 gram / Fiber: 0 grams / Sugar: 0 grams / Protein: 1 gram
Macros: 94% Fat / 4% Carbs / 2% Protein
This is one of those decadent recipes that no one will believe is keto. It’s perfect for a variety of different baked goods. But I will say it’s also perfect just on its own. You could also toast the pecans if you like, but I’m too lazy for all that, especially when the whole thing tastes so good without toasting. Vary the nuts to suit your preference, but try it with pecans first because it’s really that good.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Swerve confectioners’ sweetener
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pecans, butter, cream cheese, sweetener, heavy cream, and extract. Process until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. (You may need to add a little more heavy cream to get the desired consistency.)
Variations:
- To Make Cinnamon-Pecan Buttercream: Instead of maple extract, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- To Make Coconut-Pecan Buttercream: Omit the maple extract. Add an additional 2 tablespoons heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk. Stir 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut into the finished buttercream.
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(Excerpted from KETO FAT BOMBS, SWEETS & TREATS © 2019 by Urvashi Pitre. Photography © 2019 by Ghazalle Badiozamani. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.)
