The best low calorie carrot cake

If you’ve ever wanted to eat an entire carrot cake to yourself and still lose weight, this is the recipe for you! This low calorie carrot cake is fluffy, soft and super moist. Each bite of this cake is perfectly spiced and filled with delicious grated carrot all topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting. And the best part? This cake contains just 72 calories per slice or 288 calories for the ENTIRE cake plus the frosting!

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I don’t know about you but eating an entire carrot cake for just 288 calories sounds like the most ideal way to lose weight. Being in a calorie deficit can feel really restricting if you’re a lover of desserts. There are some desserts that would contain more calories than my entire deficit! That’s why it’s SUPER important to know how to make all your favorite foods for a fraction of the calories!

And my favorite way to do that is by making low calorie cakes. My low calorie chocolate cake was such a hit that I then made this low calorie vanilla funfetti cake and that too was a massive hit! So of course I had to create a low calorie carrot cake. This low calorie carrot cake is seriously to die for. It has such a soft and moist crumb it really feels as though you’re eating regular carrot cake!

Low calorie carrot cake

I know carrot cake gets a lot of slack but it is by far one of my all time favorite cakes! And there is no reason to cut it out if you’re in a calorie deficit. This low calorie carrot cake is so indulgent and delicious. Plus, it contains carrots so technically it’s one of your five-a-day 😉

Although this recipe technically contains 4 servings, I have no problem eating it all to myself! And at just 72 calories, there is definitely no need to stop at 1 slice!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Super simple recipe that comes together in one bowl!
• You can have this delicious low calorie carrot cake ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes!
• This cake is super moist and soft!
• This recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
• The BEST low calorie carrot cake ever!

Ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make the best low calorie carrot cake you will need:

• Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 egg. The egg provides the structure for this low calorie carrot cake.
• 0 calorie brown sugar – You can use any granulated sweetener for this recipe but brown sugar works best.
• Full-fat yogurt – This recipe contains very little fat and therefore calls for full-fat yogurt. This adds moisture to the cake giving it that classic soft and fluffy texture. You could use low-fat yogurt in a pinch but the cake may be a little dry.
• Applesauce –  Applesauce is a great alternative to fats like butter/oil and eggs. It helps the cake taste moist without it being wet and gummy.
• Plain/all-purpose flour – This recipe calls for plain or all-purpose flour. For a gluten free alternative, you can use gluten free flour or oat flour.
• Baking powder – A little baking powder to help the cake rise.
• Ground cinnamon and ginger – To add a delicious spiced feel to the carrot cake!
• Grated carrots – I would recommend grating your own fresh carrots instead of using pre-grated carrots. Fresh carrots add a TON of moisture to carrot cakes which you don’t get from pre-grated carrots which tend to be dry.
• 0 calorie icing sugar – 0 calorie icing sugar keeps this recipe sugar-free. If you don’t have any 0 calorie icing sugar to hand, regular icing sugar works too but it adds a few extra calories.
• Raisins & walnuts – These are totally optional but I love adding some raisins and walnuts to my carrot cake!

How to make a low calorie carrot cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Make the frosting by mixing together the cream cheese and 0 calorie icing sugar. Set aside in the fridge.
3. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the egg until fluffy. Whisk in the 0 calorie brown sugar until golden and fluffy. Mix in the yogurt and applesauce.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the grated carrots and combine. You can also add raisins here and mix well to combine.
5. Transfer the batter to a 5-inch cake pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool before frosting. Cut the cake into 4 slices, serve and enjoy!

TOP TIPS

Don’t over mix the batter – When folding in the dry ingredients, do so gently. The thick egg is what gives this cake volume so you don’t want to deflate it! Fold the ingredients in until the batter is well combined but try not to over do it.

Chill the frosting – The frosting is already quite thick but to really give it that thick, creamy ganache feel, chill it in the fridge. I like to make the frosting first and set it in the fridge whilst the cake bakes and cools.

Allow the cake to cool – If you add the frosting to the cake before it cools, it will melt. Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.

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