Carrot Cake (Cupcakes)

Ridiculously tender, moist, and easy to whip up! Your go-to gluten free, paleo & low carb carrot cake (or cupcakes!). Though at just 3g net carbs, it could easily be keto too.

We like a mixture of super fine almond flour, psyllium husk and flax seed meal best. No xanthan gum is needed here to yield a wonderful and moist crumb (hurray!)

Just keep in mind that for best texture and rise, you’ll always want to regrind your psyllium husk (or powder) and flax meal in a dry blender or bullet.

In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the psyllium husk you’ll want to use the NOW brand, as others may stain your carrot cake purple.

INGREDIENTS

• 48 g almond flour
• 30 g golden flaxseed meal finely ground
• 2 tablespoons psyllium husk finely ground
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground cardamom optional
• pinch ground ginger
• 57 g grass-fed butter or coconut butter, at room temp
• 1/3-1/2 cup Swerve or coconut sugar, to taste (we use 1/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest optional
• 2 eggs
• 100 g finely grated carrots
• 30 g coarsely chopped pecans

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1/2 batch cream cheese buttercream frosting

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line (or grease and flour) a muffin pan or cake pans, set aside. 
2. Whisk together in a medium bowl almond flour, flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Set aside. 
3. Cream butter in a large bowl until softened (1 minute), add the sweetener of choice and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Mix in vinegar, vanilla extract and orange zest until fully incorporated. Mix in the eggs one at a time, the batter will appear slightly 'broken' (don't worry!). 
4. Add in the dry flour mixture in two parts. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until fully incorporated and elastic, the batter will thicken as you mix. Fold in carrots and pecans. 
5. Distribute batter evenly into pan, smoothing out the tops with wet fingertips. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Check in on them after minute 10, and cover with aluminum foil as soon as they begin to brown (minute 13 for us). 
6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing, and cool completely in a rack before frosting. If building a layered cake: once cool refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 
7. Make your cream cheese buttercream frosting while your cupcakes or cakes are cooling. And frost away! 
8. If frosted, keep covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Without the frosting store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

source https://elissakitchen.blogspot.com/2018/11/carrot-cake-cupcakes.html

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