Purple Carrot Cake

5.0
(1)

Carrot cake gets a makeover with purple carrots. This cake is light and moist, not too sweet, and has a rich purple color. Purple carrots taste exactly like their orange cousins but give such a beautiful presentation, they're nice for a change.

3
3
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 servings
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Ingredients

  • butter

  • 9 ounces purple carrots, finely grated

  • ½ cup brown sugar

  • ½ cup white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3 eggs

  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

  • ¼ cup light vegetable oil

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon purple food coloring (Optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.

  2. Combine grated carrots, brown sugar sugar, white sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Toss to coat and allow the natural juices to come out. Set aside.

  3. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a separate bowl.

  4. Whisk eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until just combined. Fold in carrot-sugar mixture with all the juice that has accumulated. Add food coloring. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

  6. Cool cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Invert cake carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Cook's Note:

If you want to frost the cake, let cool completely and add a bit of purple food coloring to your favorite cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

290 Calories
10g Fat
47g Carbs
5g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 290
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 148mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin C 2mg 3%
Calcium 88mg 7%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 180mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.