[Updated 21/11/2023] If you're a fan of carrot cake and a lover of baked cheesecake, brace yourself for the perfect marriage of flavours in this delightful sugar-free and gluten-free Carrot Cake Cheesecake! It's a delightful twist on the classic black-bottom cupcakes, where chocolate sponge and cheesecake batter unite in the oven. And the best part? It's keto-friendly, so you can indulge guilt-free in this heavenly treat without compromising on taste.

For your low-carb and sugar-free baking adventures, stock up on essentials like powdered erythritol (a natural sweetener), gluten-free baking powder, and ground almond flour. Having these in your pantry ensures you can whip up guilt-free sweets anytime, including this fantastic Low Carb Carrot Cake Cheesecake. Pro tip: you can easily adapt this recipe into cupcakes by layering carrot cake batter and cheesecake mix in each cupcake case and baking for 20 minutes.

The real star, though, is the Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting. It's unbelievably good, boasting a tangy and buttery flavour with just the right sweetness, all without a hint of sugar. It's so good you might find yourself having spoonful's guilt-free. And let's be real, in the world of sugar-free and low-carb baking, some substitutes come with their own quirks. But fear not, this sugar-free cream cheese frosting covers up any baking sins.

Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free Carrot Cheesecake Recipe

Serves 12 Portions

For the Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Ingredients

100g Powdered Erythritol

115g Butter (preferably grass-fed like Kerrygold)

4ml Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

185g Almond Flour

6g Baking Powder

4g Ground Cinnamon

A Pinch of Salt

200g Shredded Carrots (approx. two medium/large carrots)

75g Chopped Walnuts

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170 Degrees Celsius. Grease and line two 6-inch round cake tins with parchment paper. In a stand-mixer bowl, beat the powdered erythritol and butter together till creamy. Make sure your erythritol is the powdered version as it beats in better than granulated.

2. Lightly beat the eggs with vanilla extract and pour in slowly to the creamed butter to incorporate.

3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well.

4. Pour the eggy mix into the dry ingredients and fold until you get an evenly mixed batter. Add the carrots and 50g of chopped walnuts, stir to combine. Divide the batter between the cake tins and set aside while preparing the cheesecake filling. If you prefer just the carrot cake, you can bake it for 30-33 minutes or until done.

For the Sugar-Free Cheesecake Topping

Ingredients

100g Full-Fat Cream Cheese

1 Egg

2g Vanilla Extract

5g Butter (preferably grass-fed like Kerrygold)

60g Powdered Erythritol

Method

1. In a clean stand-mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter together. Ensure they are both at the same temperature, e.g., if the cream cheese is from the fridge, then the butter should be too.

2. Lower the speed and add the powdered erythritol, whisk until combined.

3. Lightly beat the egg with vanilla extract and pour it into the cream cheese mix slowly. Whip until well combined.

4. In the cake tins filled with carrot cake batter, create 5-6 wells using the back of a tablespoon into the batter and pour the cheesecake mix evenly into both tins. You want the cheesecake mix to flow into the wells so they bake as lovely soft cheesecake pockets in the sponge.

5. Place the tins into the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check for doneness with a cocktail stick or wooden skewer. Once baked, let cool in their tins for 20 minutes at room temperature before carefully removing them and placing on a wire rack to cool completely and get ready for frosting.

Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

230g Full-Fat Cream Cheese

60g Butter (preferably grass-fed like Kerrygold)

200g Powdered Erythritol

5ml Vanilla Extract

Method

1. In a clean stand-mixer bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy and combined. Ensure both are at the same temperature.

2. Lower the speed of the mixer, add the powdered erythritol and vanilla, and whip until you have a nice fluffy buttercream. Your delicious sugar-free cream cheese frosting is ready!

3. Place a cake board on a turn-table (my marble one from Amazon is brilliant, serving as both a beautiful cake stand), smear some buttercream in the middle, and place a sugar-free carrot cheesecake sponge layer on it. Spread an even layer of sugar-free cream cheese frosting and place another sponge layer on top.

4. Smooth out the top layer with sugar-free cream cheese frosting and spread a thin naked layer of buttercream on the sides. Scrape off any excess with the edge of a palette knife or a cake scraper (a bakery favorite). Scatter the remaining chopped walnuts on the top.

5. You can either fully coat your cake with another layer of frosting around the sides (and I wouldn't blame you because the frosting is DELICIOUS) or pipe along the edge with a star nozzle (which I think is cuter).

Now, ENJOY. And when I say enjoy, I really mean it because it's an indulgent treat. Despite being sugar-free and low in carbs, cakes and baked goodies are still meant to be enjoyed as an occasional treat in moderation. Before any diet police come after me, yes, I'm aware it is high in fat. If I wanted to make a sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free, gluten-free cake, I'd make one out of celery and dust. But that's not my gig.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section. If you make this delightful sugar-free creation, share it on Instagram, and tag @angesdesucre #angesdesucre so we can ogle at it and share it with our followers too! If you'd like us to make you a sugar-free low-carb cake, get in touch, and we'll be happy to accommodate special orders if possible.

Lots of love,

Reshmi xoxo