Healthy Carrot Pound Cake

 
{A quick note before we get to today’s recipe!} It seems like many people are talking about the same topics right now. While I think it’s important to be informed, cautious, and as safe and healthy as possible… I also think it’s really easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or afraid by seeing and hearing updates about the world’s current events almost nonstop.

I know I feel those things nearly every time I read the news or scroll through social media…

And I don’t want to do that to you. I don’t want you to feel those things because of me and what I’m sharing here on Amy’s Healthy Baking.

So I’m planning on posting the same things as usual: recipes, baking tips, and lighthearted stories to go with them. Because I think we could all use a little distraction, a little sense of normalcy, and a hefty dose of sweet treats to brighten our days.

At least… I know that’s what I could use!

So with that in mind… I’m sending so many sweet, positive, and uplifting thoughts your way. ♡ And now let’s dive into today’s yummy dessert post! (It’s one of my new all-time favorite cake recipes!)
 

 
Partway through my sophomore year of college, after a particularly sugar-laden Christmas break, I decided to give up desserts for the first half of the year. I felt bloated and sluggish from all of the sweets (and my clothes fit more snugly than I remembered!), so I wanted to focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, and healthy meals to kick off the new year.  

When I returned to campus in January, I picked my birthday in late June as the end date of my break from desserts. But as the months passed by, I realized I wasn’t craving sweets nearly as much as I thought, and since I rarely thought about them either…
 

 
A few days before my birthday, I decided to see if I could make it through the entire year!

That year, my birthday fell on the same weekend I drove up to Oregon with a group of graduate students from the organic chemistry lab I worked in to run in a 180-mile relay race. Because I didn’t want them to make a big deal out of it, I didn’t tell the grad students about my birthday, and somehow, even with dozens of texts and phone calls from family and friends throughout our 24 hours of running, they never found out!

But as soon as I walked through the door of our apartment back in California on Sunday evening…
 

 
My roommates greeted me with balloons, streamers, and a birthday cake! They didn’t want my special day to go unnoticed, and even though they knew I was still avoiding desserts, they wanted me to be able to make a wish and blow out the candles on a cake… Regardless of whether I actually ate a slice!

So they ended up baking a cake that they wanted to eat! They had picked up a box of spice cake mix and a tub of cream cheese frosting on the baking aisle of the grocery store across the street, and they had stirred shredded carrots into the batter to turn that boxed mix into a carrot cake.

That evening, they slipped candles into the center of their doctored-up sheet cake, turned off the lights, and sang happy birthday to me. It was so sweet and special of them!

Right after, they cut themselves big pieces of cake to enjoy while I told them stories about the running race. Although each roommate said the dessert satisfied her sweet tooth, I could tell from both of their faces… It wasn’t quite as good as a true, supremely moist, almost dense, so sweet and richly flavored homemade carrot cake.
 

 
And when I recently baked this Healthy Carrot Pound Cake, memories of that birthday and their doctored-up cake mix floated through my mind… But this homemade carrot cake definitely tasted SO much better — and it’s almost as easy to make!

Yes, really! You just need two bowls and a fork to make this healthy carrot cake. So put away those hand-held and stand mixers! It still has really rich and cozy spice flavors, along with such an incredibly soft and moist texture, even with no refined flour or sugar… And each slice is 139 calories!
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CARROT POUND CAKE

What exactly is a pound cake? I’m glad you asked! Traditional pound cakes earned their name because they contained a pound of four main ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. That definitely makes for one very rich and very moist dessert… But with how much cake I like to eat, there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to burn off all those calories!

So… I healthified it! 😉 Now let’s go over how to make this healthy carrot pound cake!

You’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour and spices. As confusing as it sounds, white whole wheat flour is not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour. Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the sweet flavor and moist texture of your healthy carrot pound cake really shine!

Tip: I’ve also included my two favorite gluten-free options in the Notes section of the recipe, if you’d like to make this healthy carrot pound cake gluten-free!
 

 
For the spices, you’ll need both cinnamon and nutmeg. I buy my favorite cinnamon online here! It tastes richer, stronger, and sweeter than regular cinnamon, yet it’s still really inexpensive. It’s the only kind I use in my baking right now! Then the nutmeg adds a deeper coziness and really rounds out the spice flavor. I just love pairing cinnamon and nutmeg together!

Unlike the traditional pound cakes with a pound of butter (over 2 cups!) and a pound of eggs (about 9 of them!), you just need ½ tablespoon of butter and 3 large egg whites (no yolks needed!). That really helps keep your healthy carrot pound cake low calorie and low fat!
 

 
Even better? Your healthy carrot pound cake still tastes really rich and moist, and a lot of that is from Greek yogurt! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you already know how much I love baking with it. Here, Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your cake batter as extra butter but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your healthy carrot pound cake a protein boost!

Another ingredient that helps your cake taste so rich? Vanilla extract! Vanilla actually enhances butter’s rich flavor, so by using a bit more vanilla than most traditional recipes call for, your healthy carrot pound cake tastes just as buttery. (I use that trick in my favorite healthy chocolate chip cookies recipe too!)
 

 
Also unlike traditional recipes that use a pound of refined granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your healthy carrot cake with two of my favorite sweeteners: liquid stevia and confectioners’ style erythritol. Both of these are plant-based, no-calorie sweeteners that contain nothing refined or artificial (aka they’re clean eating friendly!).

I always try to keep my recipes’ ingredients lists as short as possible for you because I know it isn’t fun to hunt down extra things at the grocery store… But for the best and sweetest possible cake, you really do need both of these sweeteners! I found that this cake tasted decently sweet when I just used liquid stevia, but adding a small amount of the erythritol really boosted the sweetness level so that this healthy carrot pound cake tastes just as indulgent and sweet as store-bought cakes. I promise it’s worth using both!

Hint: I actually buy both of these online! Here for the liquid stevia and here for the erythritol. Neither one is a single-time use ingredient either! You’ll use liquid stevia in all of these recipes of mine and erythritol in all of these recipes of mine!
 

 
Of course, it’s impossible to make this cake without one key ingredient… Carrots! Freshly grated carrots, to be exact. Do NOT substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). Those are thicker, drier, and really bland in comparison to freshly grated carrots, and they don’t soften properly while baking. For the best texture and taste in your healthy carrot pound cake, I promise it’s worth grating your own!

Then for a fun twist, I also added pineapple and raisins to the batter! I used to hate it when bakeries hid these two ingredients inside of carrot cake… But after tasting them in this healthy homemade carrot pound cake, I was absolutely smitten — and borderline obsessed!
 

 
The pineapple makes this healthy carrot pound cake SO incredibly moist. I was completely shocked by the difference just a small amount of the fruit made to the texture! Both the pineapple and raisins add such a bright, naturally sweet pop of flavor too. Yum!

Tip: Hydrate your raisins before adding them to the batter! I do this every time I bake with raisins because it makes them exceptionally plump and juicy. See the Notes section of the recipe on how to do this!

Once your healthy carrot pound cake has fully cooled, you can serve it plain (I’m lazy and usually do this!) or top it with cream cheese drizzle…
 

 
Then cut yourself a slice and enjoy! 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 healthy carrot pound cake!

Healthy Carrot Pound Cake

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 pound cake, 12 slices

This is one of the BEST carrot cakes I’ve ever tasted! It’s supremely moist from the Greek yogurt and pineapple, full of rich spices, and completely packed with carrots — exactly the way I like my carrot cakes to be! The pineapple and raisins add such a lovely natural sweetness and fun pop of flavor too. Leftover cake will keep for at least one week if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. (← That’s my favorite because it clings and sticks much tighter than any other brand!)

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 2 ¾ cups (330g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
• ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 ½ tbsp (22mL) vanilla extract
• 4 tsp liquid stevia
• 3 tbsp (27g) confectioners’ style erythritol
• ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk, divided
• 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (about 3-4 medium, peeled first — and see Notes!)
• ½ cup (105g) diced pineapple, thoroughly drained (see Notes!)
• ¼ cup (40g) raisins (see Notes!)
• optional: cream cheese drizzle, for serving (see Notes!)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9x5” loaf pan 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 large bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the erythritol. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in ½ cup 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 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots, pineapple, and raisins.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 70-80 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring the pound cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Do NOT use a hand-held or stand mixer to make the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.

 

For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 ½ cups (180g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 2 teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

 

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.

 

Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cake dry, instead of moist and tender.

 

If you’re a big fan of spices (like I am!), then I highly recommend increasing the cinnamon by ¼ to ½ teaspoon. I also highly recommend using this type of cinnamon. It tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. (I buy it online here, and it’s really inexpensive!)

 

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 liquid 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!) This is the exact liquid stevia that I use, and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found! For a sweeter pound cake, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ½ to 1 teaspoon.

 

However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL), 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 (120mL) to keep the cake clean eating friendly, but it will be much darker in color. You may also substitute 1 cup (240mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit the milk. The baking time may vary slightly with any of these substitutions.

 

I buy my erythritol online here, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too! Coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol in the cake.

 

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

 

Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re thicker and drier, and they don’t soften properly while baking.

 

Make sure you thoroughly drain the pineapple! If you don’t, it’ll add too much moisture to the batter, and your cake will collapse while cooling. Both fresh pineapple and pineapple canned in 100% juice will work. To ensure even baking, dice the pineapple to be no larger than the raisins.

 

I highly recommend hydrating your raisins before adding them to the batter! This makes them supremely plump and juicy. To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for at least 10 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before folding them into the batter.

 

OPTIONAL DRIZZLE: Mix together 3 tablespoons (42g) of well-softened light cream cheese, 4 ½ teaspoons of milk (any kind!), and ⅜ teaspoon of liquid stevia in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped plastic bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the cooled cake.

 

Any type of cream cheese (Neufchâtel, Greek yogurt, fat-free, and even regular!) will work in the drizzle. Just make sure it’s really well softened first!

 

If you prefer not to use liquid stevia in the drizzle, then substitute 3 tablespoons of confectioners’ style erythritol or powdered sugar, and reduce the milk to 1-2 teaspoons (or adjust the amount to get your desired consistency).

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Two-Layer Carrot Cake
♡  Healthy Carrot Bundt Cake
♡  Healthy Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♡  Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡  Healthy One-Bowl Carrot Cake Bars
♡  Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy pound cake recipes!