Quite a few years ago, my grandpa flew up to spend the weekend woodworking with my dad in the backyard shop. They stayed out there for nearly two full days, alternating between sketching designs, carefully sketching those on large blocks of wood, and covering themselves in wood shavings as they turned those blocks of wood on Dad’s lathe to create beautiful bowls.
Because Grandpa and Dad mainly returned to the house for food and bathroom breaks, Mom stopped by our favorite local deli to pick up lunch for everyone on the second day. As Grandpa and Dad walked into the kitchen to show us their progress on the bowls, Mom came in from the garage with takeout bags and started arranging food on the counter.
Thick sandwiches with various deli meats, huge helpings of sprouts, tomatoes, and mustard stuffed between slices of sourdough or whole grain bread… Leafy green salads topped with more tomatoes, fresh-baked croutons, and the deli’s own pasta salad (the only time I’ve eaten rotini noodles in my green salad!)… And slices of their classic carrot cake, made from the deli owner’s grandma’s secret recipe.
While the rest of us grabbed a sandwich and served ourselves some of the salad, Grandpa set a slice of carrot cake on his plate instead. Distracted by admiring the wooden bowls from Dad’s shop, the rest of us laughed when we realized that Grandpa had completely polished off that big slice of carrot cake—and left all of the savory food untouched!
When I baked this Greek Yogurt Carrot Cake Pound Cake last week, I smiled at that memory of Grandpa’s clean plate and his sandwich still sitting on the counter… But this recipe is much healthier than the sugar-laden slice from that deli! It contains no refined flour or sugar, 7g of protein and only 134 calories!
And if Grandpa were still around, I wouldn’t blame him for polishing off two full slices! ?
Traditional pound cakes earned their name because they included a pound of each of the following ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Yikes! My waistline is crying at the thought of all those calories… So let’s talk about how to make this healthier pound cake instead!
First, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour. That sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? However, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits (like extra fiber!) as regular whole wheat flour.
Note: I’ve included my favorite gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section of the recipe, if you prefer!
Next, as opposed to a pound of butter (that’s about 2 cups!) and a pound of eggs (around 9 of them!), you’ll use just 1 tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil, if you prefer!) and 3 egg whites. That’s it! I’m doing a happy dance at how we shaved off so many calories… And with Easter around the corner, that happy dance just might include a little bunny hop dance move! ?
The rest of this healthy pound cake’s tender texture comes from Greek yogurt instead! Although I’m sure you guessed that from the recipe title already… Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your cake a big protein boost, too!
You’ll skip the refined sugar and sweeten your healthy cake with one of my favorite ingredients instead: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant based, no calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You just need 1 tablespoon for this entire cake—that’s the equivalent of at least 1 ¼ cups of sugar! This is the kind I buy because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Then for that classic carrot cake flavor, you’ll mix in cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, and freshly grated carrots. Don’t substitute the store-bought pre-shredded carrots! Those are much thicker and drier compared to carrots that you freshly grate at home. They won’t soften as much while baking, and their flavor is much more muted. This healthy pound cake is completely worth the extra few minutes of grating your own carrots—I promise!
Time for dessert! Or maybe even a sweet treat for Easter brunch? ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your pound cake and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Greek Yogurt Carrot Cake Pound Cake | | Print |
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tbsp (22mL) vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla crème stevia
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270mL) nonfat milk
- 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium, peeled first!)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 9x5” loaf pan with foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out the cake by the foil and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake will be less tender and have a distinct wheat-y flavor.
The cake requires 3 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 3 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the vanilla crème stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) However, if you really prefer to omit the vanilla crème stevia from the cake, substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup, but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup to keep the cake clean eating friendly, but it will be much darker in color. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots. They’re thicker, drier, and don’t have as good of a flavor as freshly grated carrots.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
If you’d like to top your pound cake with a cream cheese drizzle, then I recommend this recipe of mine (double or triple it!). If you’d like to top your pound cake with cream cheese frosting, then I recommend this recipe of mine (just make half!).
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, sugar-free}
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You make also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♥ Healthy Classic Carrot Cake
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Healthy Classic Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Scones
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Granola
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
This looks amazing! Hope you and your family are doing okay! x
– Izzy
Thank you so much Izzy! ♡
Hi just wandering can i substitute the vanilla creme Stevia as it is very expensive! I have sukrin gold granulated which is stevia based can i use a tblsp of that and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Aneeda! If your Sukrin stevia-based product is a 1-to-1 substitute for sugar, then see the Notes section on how to substitute using granulated sugar, and follow that modification. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this pound cake!
That story about your Grandpa is so sweet. <3 I bet my Grandpa would have done the same thing- Grandpas are awesome because they have lived long enough to know better than us sometimes that they should just do what they want, when they want. Or in this case, eat what they want when they want it! This cake looks amazing.
Thank you so much, sweet pea! It’s so true… And when I get to be that age, I’m definitely eating cake whenever I want! 😉
In the instructions, it mentions using chocolate chips, but I am not finding them in the list of ingredients. Am I missing something? Want to make this for my husband!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Barbara! I was distracted by my next recipe (it involves chocolate chips!) when I was typing out these instructions. I’ve updated the recipe — it doesn’t involve chocolate chips! 🙂 That’s really sweet of you to want to bake this for your husband, and I can’t wait to hear what you two think of it!
Amy, you and your family are in my thoughts and in my prayers. I am so sorry for your loss. Your Grandpa sounds like such an amazing man and I’m sure he will be missed. And in Grandpa’s memory I will bake this beautiful cake and will think of you and of him as I have a big slice. Hugs.
Thank you so much, Lynn. I truly appreciate it. ♡♡ I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake!
Completely agree with the chocolate chips comment. Makes me wonder if the rest of the recipe is correct.
Also, the vanilla creme stevia. I don’t have vanilla creme stevia (actually didn’t know it existed). But I do have regular stevia — can I just use that and add a teaspoon of vanilla?
THanks.
Yes, the recipe is correct Mona. I was just distracted by my next recipe (it involves chocolate chips!) when I was typing out these instructions. I’ve updated the recipe — this cake doesn’t involve chocolate chips! 🙂 It depends on the brand of stevia that you have. If it’s the same brand of stevia as the vanilla creme stevia that I use, then yes, you may substitute it and an additional ½ teaspoon of vanilla. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake!
Can honey be substituted for the Stevia? Thanks.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Pressie! I’ve already included the best substitutes for the vanilla creme stevia in the Notes section of the recipe. I recommend using one of those. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pound cake!
That’s a funny coincidence – I just made a carrot cake for my birthday tomorrow (I wanted to try out a new healthy recipe I’d planned, so what better excuse than for my own birthday?)! I think I would’ve eaten that slice of carrot cake before the savoury food just like your Grandpa did!! I hope my carrot cake has turned out as well as yours – this looks delicious! x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!! ???❤️ I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating with your delicious carrot cake! And since calories don’t count on birthdays (at least, that’s my rule! ?), then I think you should eat as many slices as you want before your savory food! 🙂
Thank you so much Amy!! I had such a wonderful day – and I totally agree! Birthdays are for eating lots of cake!!??X
Yayyy!! I’m so glad you had a lovely birthday Katie! ♡
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How would using truvia, or truvia baking blend affect the taste and texture?
The taste and texture will be slightly different, but because I haven’t personally tried that substitution, I can’t guarantee by how much. If using either Truvia product, treat it the same as you would granulated sugar and use that substitution included in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. 🙂 I’d love to hear how your pound cake turns out if you try it Marty!
Carrot cake pound cake!? Sign me up for anything carrot cake, but this sounds beyond delicious!
Thanks Kaylie!
Hello Amy, your grandpa was an amazing man! You have such lovely memories of him….very sweet. We just finished eating this cake and it is delicious! I love the addition of Greek yogurt in almost all your baked goods recipes. The house is so fragrant because of the spices. WE ALL LOVE THIS CARROT CAKE! Thank you….hugs!
Awwww your comments ALWAYS make my day Carmelina!! Thank you so much for your sweet words! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this carrot cake! You know how much that means to me! ♡ I’m so excited to hear what you and your family try next!