Healthy Carrot Cake with Oats and Quark Frosting

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer and founder of Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

This carrot cake uses oats, almond flour, grated carrot, quark and vanilla protein powder. It bakes for approximately 40 minutes at 175 °C (347 °F) and is finished with quark and cream cheese frosting once cooled. The original recipe contains two tablespoons of maple syrup, so it is neither sugar-free nor free from added sugar.

Looking for a healthy carrot cake with oats to bake at home? Below, you will find Aurora’s complete recipe with all the original quantities, followed by tips for frosting, storing and freezing the cake.

• 120 g oats, ground into flour
• 50 g almond flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder, vegan if preferred
• 150 g low-fat quark
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 15 g baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 150 g grated carrot
• 30 g walnuts, roughly chopped

• 100 g low-fat quark
• 50 g cream cheese
• 10 g vanilla protein powder
• Splash of vanilla flavoring
• Extra walnuts for the topping

Please note: the cake and frosting use 250 grams of low-fat quark in total. The two scoops of protein powder for the cake are separate from the 10 grams used in the frosting.

Protein powder scoop sizes vary between brands. Use the scoop supplied with your product and record the combined weight of your two scoops if you want to reproduce the recipe.

Equipment

• Oven and loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Food processor
• Grater
• Mixing bowls
• Mixer or whisk
• Spatula and skewer

1. Prepare the oven and loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (347 °F). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the oat flour. Grind the oats in a food processor until you have a fine flour.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the oat flour, almond flour, two scoops of protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
4. Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk the four eggs for approximately 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the 150 g low-fat quark, maple syrup and teaspoon of vanilla flavoring, then mix.
5. Make the batter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
6. Add the carrot and walnuts. Fold the 150 g grated carrot and 30 g roughly chopped walnuts into the batter.
7. Bake and let cool. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes at 175 °C (347 °F). Insert a skewer into the center: no wet batter should remain on it. Bake a little longer if needed and check again. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
8. Make the frosting and finish the cake. Mix the 100 g low-fat quark, cream cheese, 10 g vanilla protein powder and splash of vanilla flavoring into a creamy frosting. Spread it over the cooled cake and garnish with the extra walnuts.

Consistent quantities and checking whether the cake is done help you get a reliable result.

• Grind the oats finely. This helps distribute the oat flour evenly through the batter.
• Grate the carrot into small shreds. Larger pieces are harder to distribute evenly.
• Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy. Follow the approximately four minutes specified in the original recipe.
• Record the weight of your protein powder. Different scoops or products can give you a different amount of dry ingredient.
• Check the cake near the end of the baking time. Baking longer than necessary can make it drier.
• Only frost a cooled cake. The topping may run if you spread it over a warm cake.

Change one thing at a time on your next attempt. This makes it easier to identify which change affected the result.

Oats, carrots and nuts provide a range of nutrients. Eggs, quark and protein powder contribute protein.

That does not automatically make the cake low in calories or a complete meal. Portion size, frosting and the rest of your diet also matter. A slice can fit as a snack or dessert without needing to promise a particular health benefit.

No. Maple syrup contains sugar and is added to the batter in this recipe. Quark and carrots also contain naturally occurring sugars. The description “no added sugar” therefore does not fit this original recipe either. [1]

A natural source of sugar is still a source of sugar. Maple syrup remains part of the recipe, and the description should reflect that.

The cake contains several ingredients that provide protein. Whether it qualifies for a “high protein” nutrition claim depends on its calculated composition. Under European rules, at least 20% of its energy must come from protein. [2]

Without the weight and product information for the two scoops of protein powder and the dairy products, that claim cannot be accurately verified. We therefore describe this version as carrot cake with quark and protein powder.

Storing carrot cake with quark frosting

Keep the finished cake covered in the fridge at approximately 4 °C (39 °F). The frosting contains quark and cream cheese.

For short-term storage, two days is a cautious guideline based on general advice for leftovers. Freeze portions you want to eat later. [4]

Freezing for later

For meal prep, you can freeze the cake without frosting in individual slices and make the topping fresh after thawing.

1. Let the baked cake cool.
2. Cut it into portions.
3. Wrap the portions well and put them in a suitable freezer bag or airtight freezer container.
4. Label them with the freezing date.
5. Use approximately three months as a quality guideline. [5]

Thaw a portion covered in the fridge. Make the frosting with the original ingredients and add it once the cake has thawed completely.

Is carrot cake the same as Dutch worteltaart?

Yes. “Worteltaart” or “wortelcake” is the Dutch name for carrot cake. This recipe is a baked cake with grated carrot and a quark and cream cheese topping.

Is this carrot cake gluten-free?

Not automatically. Use oats labeled gluten-free and check the protein powder, baking powder and other packaged ingredients too. Avoid cross-contact in the kitchen. Oats can come into contact with gluten-containing grains during processing. [3]

Is this recipe vegan or lactose-free?

The original recipe is not vegan and is not automatically lactose-free. It contains four eggs, low-fat quark and cream cheese. Vegan protein powder or a vegan frosting does not make the whole cake vegan.

A version without these ingredients requires an adjusted recipe and may not produce the same baking result.

Can I leave out the protein powder?

Protein powder is part of both the cake and the frosting. Leaving it out changes the balance of ingredients. For a version without protein powder, use a recipe developed for that purpose.

How many calories are in a slice of carrot cake?

That depends on your products, the weight of the two scoops of protein powder, the extra walnuts and the number of slices.

To calculate it, add up the nutritional values of the cake, frosting and topping, then divide the total by the number of evenly sized portions. This gives you a calculation that reflects the cake you actually made.

Which allergens does this carrot cake contain?

The original recipe contains egg, milk, almonds and walnuts. Depending on the protein powder and other packaged ingredients, additional allergens may be present. Check the labels.

Want to try a different topping? Here are three flavor ideas:

• Greek yogurt with honey and cinnamon
• Coconut cream with maple syrup
• Almond butter with coconut oil

These combinations change the flavor and nutritional values. The quantities in the recipe above apply to the quark frosting.

Want another baking recipe? Explore our healthy banana bread with oats.

Prefer breakfast in a bowl? Our carrot cake oatmeal combines oats with carrot and cinnamon.

Would you like help building a routine where training and nutrition fit your goals and schedule? Book a free introductory session at Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

1. Netherlands Nutrition Centre: sugar, including maple syrup as a source of sugar (Dutch).
2. Netherlands Nutrition Centre: nutrition claims, including high protein (Dutch).
3. Netherlands Nutrition Centre: gluten and the gluten-free diet (Dutch).
4. Netherlands Nutrition Centre: safe cooling and storage (Dutch).
5. Laura’s Bakery: general storage advice for carrot cake (Dutch).