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Carrot Honey Cake Recipe

The naturally sweet carrots in this Healthier Carrot Cake, combined with honey and applesauce take it to a whole new, and quite nutritional, level.

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Most carrot cakes I’ve tried tend to be overly sweet. I do have a sweet tooth and love carrot cake, but I wanted to eat a slice (or 3) without the associated guilt.

This was my answer. It is a “healthy” carrot cake recipe, shared with me by one of my readers, DeAnna Pavlenko. I loved how she described it: “The naturally sweet carrots, combined with honey and applesauce take this cake to a whole new, and quite nutritional, level.” I knew I had to try it! The cream cheese frosting complements it perfectly and is not overly sweet. My whole family was wowed by this cake.

The cake is best eaten the same day it’s made. The applesauce in it makes it a little more dense the next day, but it’s still super tasty even if you must wait. It’s moist, decadent, sweetened with natural goodness, and you can actually taste the carrots.

Ingredients for The Carrot Honey Cake:

3 cups carrots, peeled and grated
2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs at room temp
1 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil, or extra light olive oil for an even healthier cake!
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup applesauce
1 cup crushed walnuts, toasted on a skillet (optional – I omitted these inside the cake since not everyone in my family eats nuts).

Carrot Cake

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz cream cheese at room temp
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

To Decorate: 

1/2 to 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted on a skillet
1/4 cup to drizzle over the top

Carrot Cake-2

Carrot Cake-31

How to Make the Carrot Cake Layers:

Preheat the Oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour 2 round cake pans.

Carrot Cake-18

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Healthier Carrot Cake

2. In a large bowl beat eggs on high speed until foamy (1 min), Add 1 cup honey and beat on high another 4 min. Blend in 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 tsp vanilla and applesauce.

Healthier Carrot Cake-1

(My son wasn’t happy with me about the applesauce situation..)

Carrot Cake-13

3. Add the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time and mix until it is just incorporated into the batter.

Healthier Carrot Cake-2

4. Use a spatula to fold in the grated carrots and walnuts (if using) just until combined.

Healthier Carrot Cake-3

5. Divide the batter equally among the two cake pans and bake at 350 ˚ F for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took ~30 min).

Tip: While cakes are in the oven make your frosting and refrigerate it until ready to use. 

Remove cakes from the oven and once they are cool enough to handle, remove from cake molds and let them cool completely to room temp before assembling and frosting your cake. Note: if the cakes are still warm, your frosting will melt.

Healthier Carrot Cake-4

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 2 sticks of butter with 2 cups powdered sugar on low speed or until combined (1 min) Don’t start on high speed or you will be surrounded in a cloud of powdered sugar (lessons learned). Increase speed to high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2 min).

Healthier Carrot Cake-5

2. Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. (I waited maybe 3 seconds in between each piece; it’s one after another really. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated. continue to beat 1 more minute.

Healthier Carrot Cake-6

3. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla and mix until combined (1 min). Refrigerate frosting until ready to use. Note: if you are refrigerating for a long period of time, you might let it soften up at room temp for easier spreading.

Healthier Carrot Cake-7

Assembling your Carrot cake:

1. Place your first (fully cooled) cake layer down on a cake platter. Cover the top generously with frosting. (I used an OXO Bent Icing Knife; very handy tool for cakes!) Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides until smooth.

Healthier Carrot Cake-8

2. I pulled the frosting up all around the top rim of the cake (If you don’t have an icing kife, you can use a spoon) to make the “column” effect on the sides (I’m not a pro, but I’m improving. I’m sharing my technique just in case some of you are worse at this than I am! lol). I then used my WILTON 1M large frosting tip and a pastry bag to pipe the pattern all around the cake.

Healthier Carrot Cake-9

3. Top the cake (staying inside the border) with toasted coarsely chopped walnuts and drizzle generously with honey. This cake is best when enjoyed the same day it’s made, but refrigerate the cake if not serving right away and let it sit at least 1 hour at room temp before serving to give the frosting and cake a chance to soften up.

Healthier Carrot Cake copy

The naturally sweet carrots in this Healthier Carrot Cake, combined with honey and applesauce take it to a whole new, and quite nutritional, level.

The naturally sweet carrots in this Healthier Carrot Cake, combined with honey and applesauce take it to a whole new, and quite nutritional, level.

Carrot Honey Cake Recipe

4.92 from 45 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 -12

For the Cake Layers:

For the Frosting:

To Decorate:

  • 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsley chopped and toasted on a skillet
  • 1/4 cup to drizzle over the top

Instructions

How to Make the Carrot Cake Layers:

  • Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl beat eggs on high speed until foamy (1 min), Add 1 cup honey and beat on high another 4 min. Blend in 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 tsp vanilla and applesauce.
  • Add in the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time and mix until it is just incorporated into the batter.
  • Use a spatula to fold in the grated carrots and walnuts (if using) just until combined.
  • Divide the batter equally among the two cake pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes; a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean (mine was closer to 30 min).
  • Tip: While cakes are in the oven make your frosting and refrigerate frosting until ready to use.
  • Remove cakes form the oven and once they are cool enough to handle, remove from cake molds and let them cool completely to room temp before assembling and frosting your cake. Note: if the cakes are still warm, your frosting will melt.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the 2 sticks of butter with 2 cups powdered sugar on low speed or until combined (1 min) Don’t start on high speed or you will be surrounded in a cloud of powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy (2 min).
  • Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined. (I waited maybe 3 seconds in between each piece; it’s one after another really. Once all of the cream cheese is incorporated. continue to beat 1 more minute.
  • Add 1 Tbsp vanilla and mix until combined (1 min). Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.

Assembling your Carrot cake:

  • Place your first (fully cooled) cake layer down on a cake platter. Cover the top generously with frosting.Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides until smooth.
  • I pulled the frosting up all around the cake (If you don't have an icing knife, you can use a spoon) to make the "column" effect on the sides. I then used my WILTON 1M large frosting tip and a pastry bag to pipe the pattern all around the top rim of the cake.
  • Top the cake (staying inside the border) with toasted coarsely chopped walnuts and drizzle generously with honey. This cake is best eaten the same day, but refrigerate the cake if not serving right away and let it sit at least 1 hour at room temp before serving to give the frosting and cake a chance to soften up.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Healthier carrot cake, honey carrot cake
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

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4.92 from 45 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  • Johanna
    June 27, 2018

    Hi,
    Love your videos and recipes! I wanted to ask about the honey you used for the cake. Was it the loose, pourable kind or raw, stiff, spoonable kind? I have the latter on hand. I don’t even know if it makes a difference but I wanted to use the kind you did.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 27, 2018

      Hi Johanna, we used the loose, pourable kind.

      Reply

  • Aelita
    June 4, 2018

    This cake was AMAZING! Though I changed some things like whole wheat flour and excluded butter in the frosting to make it healthier, my whole family enjoyed it and ate it in less than a day (before it they all were skeptical about “veggie cake with cheese on top”).

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 4, 2018

      I’m so happy to hear that, Aelita! Thank you for sharing your great review!

      Reply

    • Zhanna
      September 7, 2019

      Its yummy with oatmeal flour as well!

      Reply

  • Katie L
    January 3, 2018

    Hi, I am curious about how using the honey instead of sugar affects the density of this cake. I’ve tried substituting refined sugar for other sweeteners in the past (date paste in my case) and it was basically a pound cake. Based on further research, I decided that this was because the sugar granules couldn’t “cut” into the butter to create air holes and fluff up the cake as it baked. Have you noticed any density issues with this recipe? I’d love to avoid refined sugar, but not if it means everybody avoids my cake (like last time). 🙂 Thank you for your time!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 3, 2018

      Hi Katie, I think you are onto something. This cake is definitely more moist and dense than my other carrot cake. I think it is a combination of factors that make it that way and honey likely contributes, but it isn’t overly dense – it’s very nice 🙂

      Reply

  • Esther
    October 7, 2017

    Can you make this carrot cake in a bundt pan? Looks good, healthier & somewhat lighter than traditional carrot cake.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 7, 2017

      Hi Esther, one of my readers reported great results using a bundt pan, although you may need to adjust the baking temperature. Without testing it in bundt pan myself, I can’t really give you specific timings.

      Reply

  • Kelsey
    March 31, 2017

    This cake looks delicious! I am going to make it for Easter this year!
    Do you think subbing crushed pineapple instead of applesauce would work??

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 31, 2017

      I have not tried that substitution, so I can’t say for sure. If I were to try testing it, I would probably purée the pineapple. If you end up testing yet, let me know how it goes. I’m so curious! I’ve been wanting to put pineapple into my other carrot cake recipe to see how it works.

      Reply

  • Rebecca Martin
    January 25, 2017

    Hi I have just baked this unfortunately only the top side seemed cook inside it was still wet and raw i have followed recipe and cooked for over 30 mins as it wasn’t done what has happened rather saddened also my cup measurements are 1/2 cup 125ml and 1 cup 250ml added an apple to make up more apple sauce and plain flour as that’s our standard flour in UK.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 25, 2017

      Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear that! I haven’t had that happen, but I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. I wonder if it’s a difference in how you are measuring ingredients. Did you measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of applesauce, or did you use more? Do you live in a high altitude area? Did you do the toothpick test and remove the cake when the toothpick came out clean after inserting it in the center?

      Reply

      • Rebecca Martin
        January 25, 2017

        It just really saddened me the as the top snd sides were baked but inside it appeared wetter. Yes everything was measured correctly I believe my cup is 250ml do you think there Is a difference there?Yes I kept checking it as it had near enough 40 mins because it left a greasy residue. i used olive oil for the cake would that have altered anything and I didn’t have any baking soda but I used baking powder instead.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 25, 2017

          Hi Rebecca, I think it could have been multiple factors, but I do think the baking soda substitution could have been a culprit as well. Baking soda is about 4x stronger than baking powder, so if you substituted evenly across, the baking powder would not be strong enough to make the cake rise and bake properly. I hope that helps for next time!

          Reply

  • Britni
    January 13, 2017

    Has anyone tried this cake as cupcakes? I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday last year and we all loved it, so I wanted to use the same recipe. But need it to be cupcakes for serving ease at her birthday party. I am assuming it should be fine, just bake less time.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 13, 2017

      Hi Britni, I haven’t tried baking it as cupcakes but one of my readers, Holli, reported the following “The recipe made 24 perfect cupcakes baked at 350 degrees for 18 minutes”

      Reply

  • Anna D
    December 19, 2016

    So I’m sitting here deciding between the rustic carrot cake and the healthier carrot cake, since this one goes “bad” faster because of the applesauce, do u think it would be okay to add some cinnamon to your other rustic carrot cake recipe? I do love the smell of cinnamon, and if so, how much would u reccomend if I’m not adjusting any other ingredients? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 19, 2016

      Hi Anna, one of my readers reported great results with adding 1 tsp of cinnamon to my classic (rustic) carrot cake. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Kara
    August 28, 2016

    Can you substitute the honey with maple syrup?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 29, 2016

      Hi Kara, I haven’t tested that substitution but one of my readers reported great results with subbing maple syrup. 🙂

      Reply

  • Maryanna
    July 25, 2016

    hello Natasha i have a question.. i want to make this cake using 7 inch pans. Should i cut the portion in half? or leave it as is.. I want a smaller, taller cake. For my sons first birthday..

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 25, 2016

      Hi Maryanna, I haven’t tested it in a 7″ cake, I think it could work to leave the recipe as is, but I just hope it doesn’t overflow! If you test it out in the 7″ pans, please let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  • Cassandra
    June 20, 2016

    I LOVE the apple sauce carrot cake! I’ve made it several times and it’s always moist and delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe (:

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 20, 2016

      Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review :). I’m so happy you liked it!

      Reply

  • Audrey Gran Weinberg
    June 12, 2016

    This cake came out soooo good that we ate it up in one sitting. No one refused a second or even a third piece! Even the kids loved it.
    I made a small adjustment – as I didnt’ have proper applesauce – so I used a babyfood applesauce my sister had left here! And added one grated apple. In addition, I used Whole Spelt flour and added some cranberries as well. I did put the toasted, chopped walnuts into the cake.
    Oh, and one slight change to the frosting – I halved it – and added only about a 1/4 cup of frosted sugar. Turned out amazing. The cake is more than sweet enough!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 12, 2016

      Audrey, thank you for the wonderful review and nice job improvising 😀.

      Reply

  • Aly
    May 31, 2016

    Hi Natasha,
    I was wondering if you can substitute honey with white granulated sugar?
    Btw I love all your recipes.
    Luv ya!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 31, 2016

      Hi Aly, I believe you can but without testing it myself, I’m not sure how it would affect the recipe or if any other modifications need to be made If you make that substitution. You might consider this carrot cake recipe that we posted recently-ish. It uses granulated sugar and is super yummy. We have a video with this one to make it even easier 🙂

      Reply

  • Robin Ramback
    March 17, 2016

    Hi Natasha,
    So excited to find a more healthier version of my favorite cake !! Just to let you know , I used your recipe , I added my home made applesauce, chopped pecans and 3/4 honey and 1/4 Brown sugar, the rest I followed the recipe . I also baked it in a bundt cake pan . I had to bake it 40 mins longer before it pulled away from the sides and a toothpick came out clean. I am not a big frosting fan , so I made a simple glaze of powder sugar, maple syrup and warmed cream cheese and drizzled !! YUMMY .. moist & just the right sweetness <3.
    I look forward in making your full recipe for my daughter's b day, as your version is absolutely stunning and after my taste test ..I am sure it is wonderful ! .
    Just info .. I live in the Mts so Altitude may effect anyone else trying the Bundt version.. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 17, 2016

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I love the idea of making the carrot cake in a bundt pan! I bet it was gorgeous!

      Reply

  • Veneta
    January 6, 2016

    Natasha could this be baked in a 13×9 ” pan instead of two round pans?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 7, 2016

      Hi Veneta, I think it could work but I haven’t tested it that way to tell you for sure how it would rise or how you would need to alter the bake time.

      Reply

      • Veneta
        January 7, 2016

        I may try it today or tomorrow. Will let you know how it comes out if I do…and how long it took to bake. I bake at 375 due to a high altitude. 7000 feet needs some adjustments to time and temprature and sometimes a couple others too.

        Reply

    • Jaimie Mickey
      February 22, 2016

      I made this cake recipe yesterday in a 13×9″ glass dish and it turned out perfect! I baked at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes until the center cracked. I also only needed to make have the frosting recipe and still had about half of that left once the top was foster. It was amazingly moist! Will definitely make again! I’m in Florida btw, so higher altitudes may need to make adjustments.

      Reply

      • Veneta Britt
        February 22, 2016

        Thanks and I am still working out the adjustments for my altitude on this cake.

        Reply

  • Melissa
    December 9, 2015

    Hello Natasha,

    I wouldblike to try your carrot cake recipe but before, can you please tell me if you know Nutritional Facts per serving?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 9, 2015

      I don’t typically include nutrition info, but if you go to caloriecount.com you can plug in the ingredients and servings and figured out pretty easily that way. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Ana Michaela
    November 27, 2015

    I made this recipe for a Thanksgiving dinner, it was so delicious that people rejected the pies. I used low fat cream cheese and organic apple sauce. I also added the walnuts inside. It was perfection! Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 27, 2015

      Ana, thank you for a such a nice review, it is quite a compliment. At least you’ll have leftover pie to enjoy 😀 .

      Reply

  • Tamara Green
    August 11, 2015

    I’ve been working on my making my own GF carrot cake to enter into our fair, and I’ve been tying to gather anyone and everybody’s opinions on what makes the best carrot cake; and I have to say this one looks really good. I really want to try using applesauce! Although I am wondering does the cake last just as long when use apple sauce or does it spoil quickly?

    Thanks & Blessings,
    Tamara Green

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 11, 2015

      I’ve always kept it refrigerated until ready to serve so I’m not sure. As far as food safety goes, I don’t think the applesauce would spoil as quickly as the dairy frosting.

      Reply

      • Tamara Green
        August 12, 2015

        Thanks for responding so quickly Natasha! I’ve been wanting to leave a comment for a long time now, ever since I first stumbled upon your site almost two years ago. I like your site for so many reasons: your Christian, your Ukrainian (and I am other mostly Ukrainian heritage), you always have great recipes, and your name is Natasha (just like my sister!). Thanks for making your site available to so many people.

        Thanks & Blessings,
        Tamara Green

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          August 12, 2015

          Hi Tamara, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It’s so nice to meet you here :). God bless you also!

          Reply

  • Polly
    July 23, 2015

    Made this healthy carrot cake but was really moist , is it supposed to be ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 23, 2015

      Yes it is supposed to be more moist than a normal carrot cake.

      Reply

  • Yuge
    June 8, 2015

    This was delicious! I didn’t have too much honey on hand so I used 1/4 cup honey and < 3/4 brown sugar. The sugar caused the eggs to gain quite a bit of volume, but I think that helped give the cake a more airy texture. I threw in a pinch of nutmeg as well. Also for the frosting, I only used 8 oz of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. I had just enough for a thin layer between the cake, on top, and around it, which worked out fine because my family is not a huge fan of icing. The bit of cream cheese does go well with the cake. I might use 12 oz of cream cheese next time.

    Great recipe though, and I felt quite guilt-free eating it! I sliced it into 20 single portions.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 8, 2015

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for sharing your modifications. You’ve given me fierce cravings for carrot cake! 🙂

      Reply

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