Why should you make these Venetian Almond-Carrot Cakes? Well, I’ll just start this off by saying that I’m the kind of person that loves carrot cake so much, I literally served it at my wedding. Seriously, lifelong fan over here. I lived to go eat dinner at Lettuce Souprise You as a little kid, where every meal was topped off with my own giant piece, complete with a frosted carrot on top.
So I approached this recipe development with a pure heart and a desire to bite into a sliver of childhood nostalgia, all the while knowing that my 45 year old body isn’t so forgiving when I eat giant pieces of cake.
Thankfully, the Italians have been making their own chic little version of carrot cake for centuries. This cake originated around the 1600s within the large Jewish community located in Venice. I just had to modify it to make it gluten and refined sugar free.
Feel Good Vibes
- Carrots bring the beta-carotene, a plant compound the body can convert to vitamin A, supporter of eye health, immune function, and healthy skin.
- Almond flour adds healthy fats, fiber, vitamin E, and minerals, making this a more nutritious choice than a standard white flour cake.
- Olive oil contributes heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that keep the cake moist without relying on butter.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No gluten free flour: make your own blend:
- 4 Tbsp + 2 tsp brown rice flour
- 1 Tbsp + 1 ¼ tsp potato starch
- 1 Tbsp white rice flour
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
- No almond flour: pecan, hazelnut or pistachio flour
- No fennel seed: sub ½ teaspoon ground anise seed or ground cardamom
- No carrots: sub parsnips
- No muscovado sugar: sub ¾ cup date sugar
- No eggs: sub ½ cup aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid)
- No orange: sub lemon zest and juice, and add an extra tablespoon of muscovado sugar
- No Greek yogurt: sub ice cream or whipped cream
- No local honey: sub date syrup or pomegranate molasses
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Toasting your almond flour will give this cake a deeply complex, nutty flavor. Spread it in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 325˚F for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on it, as it can burn quickly!
- If you prefer to make a large cake instead of individuals, I recommend using an 8 inch cake pan. I have tried turning this into a bundt cake, but I wasn’t successful, so I would avoid that.
- I prefer silicone baking molds to metal ones because it is so much easier to get the cakes out of the molds. If you do prefer to use a metal tin, I would employ some paper cupcake liners.
Venetian Almond Carrot-Cakes Serving Suggestions
- Tastes great with homemade Maple Sugar Ice Cream for a composed dessert.
- Make a dessert board and serve it with Chocolate Chinchilla and an Almond Pound Cake.
- Chic dinner party menu:
- Peach and Tomato Caprese
- Almond and Parmesan Breaded Flounder, Sautéed Greens and Chickpea Panisse
- Venetian Almond-Carrot Cakes
Storage and Shelf Life
Make Ahead: cake can be made ahead, up to 5 days in advance. Once cool, wrap it up tight in plastic wrap for storage.
Refrigerate: holds well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: can be stored in the freezer, after baking and cooling, for up to a month.
Final Thoughts
It feels like we fall on one of two sides when it comes to sweets. You’re the type of person that needs a frosted cake/insulin rocket (with sprinkles!), or you’re the type of person that enjoys a more subtly sweet dessert, the kind that doesn’t make you feel like crawling in a hole and dying 45 minutes after you eat it.
I belong in the second group, and so you can bet this recipe is going to have flavor and nuance and just a hint of sweetness. It’s for those of us that have super fond memories of eating frosted carrot cake in the ‘80s, but wouldn’t be able to conquer a whole piece of it today. I still miss those cute little frosted carrots though!
Have you tried these Venetian Almond Carrot-Cakes yet? If so, tell us how they turned out in the comments below. I hear that leaving positive comments on recipe websites is an easy way to bank some good karma. And don’t forget to sign up for the Everyday Alchemy newsletter here.
Venetian Almond-Carrot Cakes
Special Equipment
- silicone muffin mold or cupcake liners if using a metal tin
Ingredients
- 7 ounces medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup light muscovado sugar packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup gluten free flour
- 6 tablespoons almond flour toasted
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Optional Garnish:
- Greek yogurt to serve
- Local wildflower honey to serve
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 325˚F if you need to toast your almond flour (see FAQs for instructions). Once your almond flour is toasted, heat the oven up to 350˚F.
- In a blender, combine 7 ounces peeled and roughly chopped carrots (about 1 ½ cups), ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, packed ½ cup light muscovado sugar, 2 large room temperature eggs, ¼ teaspoon orange zest and ¼ cup of orange juice. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Now add ½ cup gluten free flour, 6 tablespoons toasted and cooled almond flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seed and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Blend again until smooth, about 15 seconds.
- Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners if desired. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling them ¾ of the way full. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 72 hours.
- Serve with Greek yogurt & local wildflower honey, to taste.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.