Chai-spiced carrot cake with fresh figs is a moist, chai-infused cake packed with nutrients from fresh carrots and dressed up with figs on top. The chai-spiced coconut milk is steeped into the batter, so cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom perfume every crumb. A maple cream frosting of coconut butter and cultured coconut cream cheese crowns it — equally at home at a special occasion or a weekend treat.
A moist chai-infused cake, packed with nutrients from fresh carrots. Beautifully dressed up for a special occasion or enjoy dressed down for a weekend treat.
Carrot Cake
1 can organic full fat coconut milk
6 pastured eggs
1/3 c (35°F). raw honey (or 2/3 c (35°F). Date Paste)
¼ c. organic virgin coconut oil
1 t. vanilla extract
2 ½ c. blanched almond flour
1/3 c (35°F). organic coconut flour
1 t. sea salt
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
3 c (35°F). fresh carrot pulp (see note below)
12 oz. (340 g) fresh figs (about 12)
Chai Spices
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cardamom
pinch of finely ground black pepper
Maple Cream Frosting
½ c. organic coconut butter
3 T. organic grade B maple syrup (or ½ c. Date Paste)
½ t. ground cinnamon
1 t. vanilla powder
1 c (35°F). Cultured Coconut “Cream Cheese”
Directions:
Note on carrot pulp: To get 3 cups (720 ml) of fresh carrot pulp, juice 8 carrots in a cold-pressed juicer. OR shred 8 carrots with a box shredder, place the shredded carrot in a tea towel, and squeeze tightly to press much of the juice out.
Make the cake: In a small saucepan, combine 1 can coconut milk with chai spices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover with a lid, and remove from heat. Let steep for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F (180°C).
Combine eggs, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the warm coconut milk mixture. Increase speed to medium to mix well. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and carrot pulp and mix on high to combine. Divide batter evenly between two 9-inch (or a 9x13-inch, cook time will vary) greased pie pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 20 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: place coconut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until coconut butter is smooth and volume increases by 50%. Add in Cultured Coconut “Cream Cheese” and whisk on high until fully incorporated. Frosting should resemble the texture of a smooth and thick buttercream. If frosting is too thick to spread, add coconut milk (1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time) to thin out to desired texture.
Spread frosting onto cooled cakes, placing a thin layer between the two rounds. Top with fresh figs.
Rich, cacao cupcakes packed with melty morsels of chocolate. Topped with a creamy buttercream made with no butter or powdered sugar.
Yields: 12 cupcakes
3 pastured eggs
1 can full-fat coconut milk
¼ c. organic grade B maple syrup (or ½ c. Date Paste)
1 T. vanilla extract
½ c. raw cacao powder
3 T. organic virgin coconut oil
¾ c. organic coconut flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ c. mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F (180°C).
In a small saucepan, combine cacao powder and coconut oil. Cook until cacao powder is melted. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the cacao powder/coconut oil mixture and mix to combine. Add coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mix on medium speed until batter is smooth, about 60 seconds. Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed to combine.
Portion batter evenly between 12 lined muffin cups. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cacao Cream Frosting
4 oz. (113.4 g) 100% cacao liquor/paste, chopped
2/3 c (35°F). organic coconut cream
2 T. organic grade B maple syrup (optional)
1 t. vanilla extract
½ c. raw cacao powder
raw cacao nibs, for topping
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cacao liquor, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut cream. Place the mixture over a bowl of simmering water on medium low heat. Mix frequently until mixture is warmed through and chocolate is melted. Place in the refrigerator to cool 1 hour.
Remove from fridge, add cacao powder to the bowl, and place on the stand mixer. Mix on low to incorporate cocoa powder. Move to medium high speed and mix until it reaches a thick, frosting-like consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and serve.
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Pro Tips
- Steep the chai spices in warm coconut milk for a full 10 to 15 minutes — this infusion is what makes the cake taste genuinely chai-spiced rather than simply spiced.
- For the carrot pulp, juice 8 carrots in a cold-pressed juicer — or shred them and squeeze the juice out through a tea towel. Dry pulp keeps the cake from going soggy.
- Pour the warm coconut milk mixture into the eggs slowly with the mixer running; adding it too fast can scramble the eggs.
- Cool the cakes completely before frosting — warm layers melt the coconut butter frosting into a slide.
- If the frosting is too thick to spread, thin it with coconut milk one teaspoon at a time until it resembles smooth, thick buttercream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use carrot pulp instead of shredded carrots?
Pulp has the juice pressed out, which concentrates the carrot flavor and nutrition without adding moisture that would make the cake heavy. Shredded, squeezed carrot works fine as a substitute.
What is cultured coconut cream cheese?
A dairy-free, cultured coconut spread that gives the frosting its tangy, cheesecake-like flavor. Any paleo-friendly cream cheese substitute works in the same amount.
Can I make this as cupcakes?
Yes — this recipe also adapts to a cacao cupcake variation with a chocolate hazelnut-style cacao cream frosting. The same batter structure works in lined muffin cups.
How long does the cake keep?
Covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Bring slices to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens and the crumb turns tender again.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Note on carrot pulp: To get 3 cups of fresh carrot pulp, juice 8 carrots in a cold-pressed juicer. OR shred 8 carrots with a box shredder, place the shredded carrot in a tea towel, and squeeze tightly to press much of the juice out. Make the cake: In a small saucepan, combine 1 can coconut milk with chai spices.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover with a lid, and remove from heat.
- Let steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine eggs, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix on medium speed until well combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the warm coconut milk mixture. Increase speed to medium to mix well.
- Add in almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and carrot pulp and mix on high to combine.
- Divide batter evenly between two 9-inch (or a 9x13-inch, cook time will vary) greased pie pans.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 20 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before frosting. Make the frosting: place coconut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until coconut butter is smooth and volume increases by 50%.
- Add in Cultured Coconut “Cream Cheese” and whisk on high until fully incorporated. Frosting should resemble the texture of a smooth and thick buttercream. If frosting is too thick to spread, add coconut milk (1 teaspoon at a time) to thin out to desired texture.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cakes, placing a thin layer between the two rounds.
- Top with fresh figs. Rich, cacao cupcakes packed with melty morsels of chocolate.
- Topped with a creamy buttercream made with no butter or powdered sugar. Yields: 12 cupcakes
- 3 pastured eggs
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ c. organic grade B maple syrup (or ½ c. Date Paste)
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- ½ c. raw cacao powder
- 3 T. organic virgin coconut oil
- ¾ c. organic coconut flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- ½ t. baking soda
- ½ c. mini chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small saucepan, combine cacao powder and coconut oil.
- Cook until cacao powder is melted.
- Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on medium speed until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the cacao powder/coconut oil mixture and mix to combine.
- Add coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mix on medium speed until batter is smooth, about 60 seconds.
- Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed to combine. Portion batter evenly between 12 lined muffin cups.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cacao Cream Frosting
- 4 oz. 100% cacao liquor/paste, chopped
- 2/3 c. organic coconut cream
- 2 T. organic grade B maple syrup (optional)
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- ½ c. raw cacao powder raw cacao nibs, for topping In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cacao liquor, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut cream.
- Place the mixture over a bowl of simmering water on medium low heat.
- Mix frequently until mixture is warmed through and chocolate is melted.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool 1 hour.
- Remove from fridge, add cacao powder to the bowl, and place on the stand mixer.
- Mix on low to incorporate cocoa powder. Move to medium high speed and mix until it reaches a thick, frosting-like consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
- Sprinkle with cacao nibs and serve.
