Carrot Spice Cake

One of the harder trade-offs when you first start the Autoimmune Protocol is celebratory food. Birthday cake, holiday baking, the smell of something warm and spiced coming out of the oven: all of it goes quiet for a while. This carrot spice cake is one way back in. It holds together properly, slices cleanly, and does not read as a substitution to anyone at the table who does not know what AIP even stands for.

Carrots are where this cake earns its keep. They are notably high in beta-carotene, and the body draws on it to build vitamin A as needed, a nutrient thought to help keep the barrier lining the gut in good working order. Cinnamon and ginger both bring warmth to the crumb and both are fully open on the elimination phase, one less thing to think about while everything else is being relearned.

Frost the cake only after it has cooled completely, slice cleanly, and set it out like you would any other cake. Real, whole ingredients went into this, not a mix from a box, and that is worth noticing before the first bite. Bring it to a gathering. Let people just eat cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 150 grams cassava flour
• 100 grams coconut sugar
• 60 grams coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (AIP swap from vanilla extract, which contains alcohol)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup shredded carrots

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut yogurt
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a round cake pan with a little coconut oil and line the base with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl or large jug, whisk together the avocado oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla powder, and water.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold in the shredded carrots. The batter will be dense - this is expected.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top feels set. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out carefully onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: whisk together the melted coconut oil, coconut yogurt, and maple syrup until smooth. If the mixture is too thin to spread, refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens.

Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Slice and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note on the vanilla swap: the original recipe calls for vanilla extract. Vanilla extract typically contains alcohol, which is excluded on the AIP elimination phase. Vanilla powder is a direct substitute. One teaspoon of vanilla powder provides equivalent flavor to roughly two teaspoons of extract, so the quantity here is adjusted accordingly.

*Adapted from Autoimmune Wellness*