This three layer Keto Carrot Cake is a stunner of a low carb dessert. Frosted with the best sugar-free cream cheese frosting, this cake will wow your friends and family. And it’s remarkably easy to make!
I am absolutely over the moon about this keto carrot cake recipe. Simply and utterly obsessed with it and I want to make it over and over again.
Trust me, this is high praise coming from someone who bakes a lot of keto desserts. And who typically leans hard toward the chocolate variety of anything. But I took one bite of this moist, tender keto carrot cake and I was instantly in love.
And it was high time that I posted something like this. I have many carrot cake flavoured recipes, like my popular keto carrot cake bars. But not a single one of them is a classic layer cake.
Many of you have asked for a classic Keto Carrot Cake and so I thank you for pushing me to this. Because it is beyond delicious!
Keto Cake Cookbook
Confession time! Part of the reason I chose to share this recipe now is that I am working on a new e-cookbook devoted entirely to keto cake recipes.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I love making low carb cakes that rival the conventional wheat-and-sugar variety. I derive so much pleasure out of creating something that no one guess is keto friendly.
I’ve got a classic keto birthday cake, of course, and a rich and delicious keto chocolate cake. But then I have more extravagant creations like Berry Chantilly Cake and Praline Sheet Cake.
I hope to have this book out by May or June, so keep your cake-loving eyes peeled!
Ingredients
For this recipe, I tried to stay true to the classic, with some notable keto substitutions.
The flours
Because carrot cake typically takes chopped pecans, I decided to use pecan flour as the base. It has great flavour and slightly fewer carbs than almond flour. I also added some coconut flour to help the overall consistency of the cake.
The sweeteners
Staying true to conventional carrot cake, I incorporated both a brown sugar replacement and granulated sweetener. Swerve Brown is, by far, the most like real brown sugar, and it deepens the flavor of the cake.
The spices
Carrot cake is really a kind of spice cake, so don’t skimp on the spices. I used plenty of cinnamon and some ground cloves. You can also add in nutmeg and a bit of ginger. But don’t overdo the ginger as it can overpower the rest of the flavors.
The carrots
As most of us are aware, carrots are not the most keto friendly vegetable. But you don’t have to add a lot to the recipe to give it the right taste and texture. Conventional carrot cake usually takes 3 cups of grated carrot. I cut this back to 1 1/2 cups and it was perfect.
How to make keto carrot cake
Making a keto carrot cake is really quite similar to the conventional version. Here are my best tips for getting it right.
- Prep your pans properly: This means both greasing them and lining them with parchment paper. Don’t skip this step!
- Finely grate the carrot: Choose the smallest holes on your box grater or food processor grating blade. This ensures better distribution of the carrot throughout the cake.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Make sure to break up any lumps in the flours before proceeding.
- Beat the wet ingredients together, then add the dry ingredients all at once and beat to combine.
- Bake the cake layers: Be sure to divide the batter into the pans as evenly as possible. If you have a kitchen scale, that can help!
- Let cool completely: You know I always stress this, as keto cakes are very fragile when they are still warm.
How to make the best keto cream cheese frosting
Classic carrot cake takes cream cheese frosting and this one is no different! A few tips for a truly creamy, smooth frosting:
- Properly soften the cream cheese and butter: Make sure that they are soft enough to beat very easily. If you live in a cooler climate, as I do, room temperature may not be sufficient. I always give mine a few seconds in the microwave before I beat them together.
- Add the sweetener after they are smooth: Don’t try to beat it in right away, as it can cause some clumping. Wait until the cream cheese and butter mixture is nice and smooth first.
- Use room temperature cream: Adding cold cream can also cause the frosting to clump up, so make sure to let the cream sit out for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Crumb coat the cake: For this keto carrot cake recipe, I went with the more naked look. I simply spread enough frosting on the sides of the cake to coat it lightly. It was plenty of frosting in the end, as the cake is wonderfully moist.
Frequently Asked Questions
While carrots aren’t the most keto friendly vegetable, they are fine used in a recipe that serves 12 to 16. I found I could use up to 1 1/2 cups without raising the carb count much.
I haven’t tried making this recipe without nut meals as yet. But you could try replacing the pecan flour with sunflower seed flour. You will need to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to offset the green reaction.
Then simply leave out the added nuts in the cake and the garnish.
The cake will probably turn out with other sweeteners but I do warn you that allulose causes baked goods to darken very quickly and look almost burnt. For the frosting, you need a good confectioner’s style (powdered) sweetener.
Protein powder is a critical ingredient as it helps baked goods rise and hold their shape properly. You will find that my keto cake recipes are lighter and fluffier than many others. You can skip it, but please understand that your cake will be more dense and more fragile.
You can use whey protein, egg white protein, or some plant-based proteins. But don’t use collagen protein as it will make the cake gummy and hard to cook through.
You can make 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe to make a fully frosted cake.
Storage Information
Store the keto carrot cake in the fridge, with any cut edges covered with plastic wrap. I like it best served at room temperature so I recommend cutting slices when it’s cold and letting them sit out for a few minutes. The cake should last for up to a week in the fridge.
You can also freeze this cake, tightly wrapped up, for up to 2 months.
Want more keto layer cakes?
- Lemon Cream Cake
- Keto Margarita Cake
- Keto Marble Cake
- Cookies & Cream Cake
- Butter Pecan Cake
- Sugar Free Spice Cake
Keto Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups pecan flour/almond flour, See Notes
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup unflavoured whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup avocado oil, or another neutral oil
- ½ cup Swerve Brown
- ½ cup Swerve Granular
- 1½ cups finely grated carrot, lightly packed
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Garnish
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp finely grated carrot
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease 3 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pecan flour, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and oil with the sweeteners until well combined and the sweeteners are mostly dissolved. Beat in the carrots and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the baking pans and spread to the edges. Bake 18 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pans, then run a sharp knife around the inside of the pans and flip out onto a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until very smooth. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Slowly beat in the heavy whipping cream until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
To assemble
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or plate. Spread the top with one quarter of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Use the final quarter of frosting to lightly crumb coat the sides, so that the cake peeks through.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans and shredded carrot around the outside of the top of the cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I am wondering you could suggest a cook time for the batter if I want to convert it to a standard muffin pan with liners for an event. Thanks!
You’re going to need to experiment and keep your eye on them.
I made this cake for my son’s birthday. Everyone loved it! The cake is moist and full of flavor. The texture is perfect, and the frosting is fresh and creamy.
Is there a misprint on the measurement for baking powder? 1 tablespoon seems a lot. Doesn’t it make the cake taste fizzy? Thanks.
No mistake and no, it doesn’t make anything fizzy.
i am not keto but a Type 1 diabetic and I made only substitute in using half regular powdered sugar (i ran out of powdered Swerve) and this was fantastic! i had a few purple carrots along with orange carrots and it gave it the look of raisins like some carrot cake recipes call for! Will make again!
I just made this carrot cake in cupcake form for the first time, and WOW—this is hands down my favorite recipe to date! The cupcakes turned out incredibly moist with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness. The cream cheese frosting was smooth, tangy, and paired beautifully with the rich cake.
To finish them off, I topped each one with shredded coconut that I dyed green to look like grass—it made them not only taste amazing but look absolutely adorable too. Perfect for spring or Easter, but honestly, I’ll be making these all year long.
If you’re on the fence about trying this recipe, do yourself a favor and MAKE IT. You will not be disappointed!
So glad you like it!
Love your recipes and have all your books. Can I make this as a non layer cake in a 9″ x 13″ pan? I assume I’d probably have to bake it a little longer.
delicious!
In your old format, there was an option to select gram measurements. Is that no
longer available or am I just blind ? 🙂 Baking with grams usually gives me the best results- TIA!!
I love this recipe as well as all of her recipes!
Wonderful
Hello, before I make this delicious looking cake – how many grams of sugar per serving? I’m diabetic, so it’s a necessary question. Thanks!
Hi Jeri… I am diabetic as well and it’s really the carb count that is most important, as carbs become glucose in your blood stream. This is why I don’t list grams of sugar. Any sugar in this recipe is very minimal as it is, since I don’t add sugar. You could guesstimate them by simply subtracting the fiber from the carb count. It’s not exact but it would be close.
No weight measurements wee give for the dry ingredients, volume measurements are VERY INACCURATE, terrible for someone who considers posting recipes.
I removed your poor rating… because you didn’t scroll down to the ACTUAL RECIPE!!! Please do some more reading…
I can’t wait to make this cake for my husband. We both are on Keto and it would be nice to have a dessert after dinner.We both love carrot cake, I am hoping it comes perfect as yours did.
I don’t have pecan flour can I use just almond and coconut
You can use all almond flour for my mix of almond and pecan.
can I use hazelnut flour alone or a mixture of almond and hazelnut be better?
Probably a mix… hazelnut flour won’t be as fine.
I’ve made this before and it is excellent! Since we are not gluten free, I add a couple of tablespoons of wheat flour to improve texture. My questions is, would upping the coconut flour to 2/3 cup and reduce almond down to one cup achieve the same result? Would I need six eggs rather than four?
Grinding the almond flour or getting finely ground might help the texture?. I guess the wheat flour takes the keto part out since there are already some carbs in the almond flour (?) but I don’t know how many carbs total kills the keto. Anyone know?
The broad answer would be individualized to the # of carbs it takes your body to be kicked out of ketosis. In general keeping carb content to 15- 20Gms or less per DAY is usually about right. Trim Healthy Mama “S” meal would be a good guide for a keto portion. When eating a fat meal or food as in keto, keep carbs below 5 Gms I think that’s right
I have found when finely grating carrots there is a lot of juice. Should this be drained off or do I put this into the cake mix?
Add it all in!
Thank you for your fast response.
I made your recipe for my grandies BD. He wanted cookies and cream but couldn’t decide whether he wanted cake or cheese cake and suggested I make him both!!! So I made A chocolate cake using your recipe for cup cakes and then i used your recipe for cream cheese frosting and coated thickly between the layers and over the cake. I used your recipe for the cookies which I dipped in sugar free chocolate and the cookie crumble which was folded into the frosting. I would love to add a photo but can’t work out how to. The overall effect was fantastic, the taste was excellent and also enjoyed by the critique, non sugar watchers.
Thank you for for your recipes, I enjoy your site, there many I want to make
Kind regards Lenore.