Orange–Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream
🍰 Cake Ingredients
- 1½ cups grated carrots (packed)
- Zest of 1 large orange
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted (or neutral oil)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ½ cup shredded coconut (optional but lovely)
🧁 Coconut Cream Frosting
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- 2–3 tbsp powdered sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of ½ orange (optional, but ✨)
🔥 Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round or square pan.
- Wet mix: Whisk eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice, and zest until smooth.
- Dry mix: In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- Combine: Fold dry ingredients into wet. Gently stir in carrots, nuts, and coconut.
- Bake: Pour into pan and bake 35–40 min, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting (important!).
🥥 Coconut Cream
- Scoop the solid cream from the chilled coconut milk (leave the liquid behind).
- Whip with sugar/maple syrup and vanilla until fluffy.
- Fold in orange zest if using.
- Spread generously on cooled cake.
✨ Pro Tips
- For extra moisture: add 2 tbsp applesauce
- For a glow-up: drizzle with orange syrup (orange juice + sugar reduced on the stove)
- Make it vegan: swap eggs for flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water)