🥕 Moist Honey Carrot Cake (Naturally Sweetened, No Frosting, School Lunch Hero)

Wow your guests with this simple-looking but wildly flavorful carrot cake—naturally sweetened with honey, rich with melted coconut oil, and so moist it practically melts in your mouth. No frosting. No mixer. Just a dreamy one-bowl batter that takes minutes to prep and bakes beautifully in a ring pan.

This is the cake you'll pack in lunchboxes, sneak with coffee, and bring to potlucks where people ask, "Wait—what's in this?" It's back-to-school friendly, toddler tested, and weekday-easy. You’ve just found your new favorite "everyday cake."

I'm so glad you're here! I'm on a mission to document my AI prompting journey in the kitchen. I want to keep this site free of obnoxious ads. If you like my content, please consider supporting me.

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Recipe

Servings: 20 small slices

Calories per serving: ~198

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

🥕 Moist Honey Carrot Cake (Naturally Sweetened, No Frosting, School Lunch Hero)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional for toddlers)

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup (180ml) melted coconut oil (refined for no coconut flavor, unrefined for aroma)

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar

• ⅔ cup (200g) honey

• 3 large eggs

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup (120g) full-fat Greek yogurt or whole milk skyr (I used Painterland Sisters Skyr)

• ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk

• 2 cups (200g) finely grated carrots

• Heaping ⅓ cup (about 60g) soft raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a ring or bundt pan generously.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and salt.

3. In a large bowl, whisk melted coconut oil with brown sugar and honey until smooth. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla, yogurt, and milk.

4. Fold in grated carrots and raisins.

5. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir gently until just combined. Don’t overmix.

6. Pour into your prepared pan and tap gently to release bubbles.

7. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Start checking at 45 minutes.

8. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition per slice (20 slices):

• Calories: ~198

• Protein: 3g

• Fat: 9g

• Carbs: 26g

• Sugar: 14g

• Fiber: 1g

Storage Instructions:

Keep at room temp in an airtight container for 2–3 days. For longer freshness, refrigerate up to 6 days. Freeze sliced for up to 2 months. Best served at room temp or gently rewarmed.

Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Mix Wet Ingredients

Add Raisins and Carrot

Mix Well

Add Dry Ingredients

Add Dry Ingredients

Transfer to Bundt Cake Pan

Bake

Let Rest

Enjoy

Enjoy

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Prompt

Here's how I prompted this "🥕 Moist Honey Carrot Cake (Naturally Sweetened, No Frosting, School Lunch Hero)" recipe:

I really knew what I wanted this time:

I want a really moist and rich carrot cake, in a ring pan. No frosting. More honey than sugar. I don't have orange juice. It needs to be moist, rich, and kid friendly. Bonus point if toddler approved.

ChatGPT suggested:

Got it. You're after a moist, rich, sweet-but-wholesome carrot cake in a ring/bundt pan, using more honey than sugar, no frosting, and no orange juice. You also want it to be kid- and toddler-approved—so we’ll skip anything too sharp (like nuts or heavy spice) and keep the texture soft and moist. Here's a version that hits all those marks:

🥕 Super Moist Honey Carrot Ring Cake (No Frosting)

Makes: 1 standard ring/bundt cake (10–12 slices)Calories: ~230 per slice (based on 12)Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional, or omit for very young toddlers)

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup (180ml) neutral oil (like avocado or light olive oil)

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar (light or dark)

• ⅔ cup (200g) honey

• 3 large eggs

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups (200g) finely grated carrot (packed)

• ½ cup (120g) full-fat Greek yogurt or whole milk skyr

• ¼ cup (60ml) milk (whole or 2%)

Optional Add-ins (choose 1 or none for picky kids):

• ¼ cup crushed pineapple, very well-drained (extra moisture and sweetness)

• ⅓ cup finely chopped raisins or soft dates

• ½ cup rolled oats (for fiber—blend into flour if needed)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour your ring/bundt pan thoroughly.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. In another large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, and honey until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, yogurt, and milk.

4. Gently fold in the carrots (and optional pineapple or raisins if using).

5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared ring pan. Tap gently to release air bubbles.

7. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Check at 45 minutes.

8. Let it cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool fully.

💡 Tips:

• Toddler Tip: Omit nutmeg and raisins for younger kids. This cake is naturally sweet and soft.

• Ultra Moist Trick: Store in an airtight container at room temp overnight before serving—flavor deepens and crumb softens.

• Freezes well in slices.

🧠 Nutrition per slice (approx. for 12 slices):

• Calories: 230

• Protein: 4g

• Fat: 10g

• Carbs: 30g

• Sugar: 16g (mostly from honey)

• Fiber: 1.5g

Want me to write a toddler snack version too (like muffins or finger bars)?

I was in a coconut oil mood:

Can I use coconut oil?

ChatGPT was generally encouraging:

Yes, you can absolutely use coconut oil—it works really well in carrot cake and adds a subtle, warm sweetness that complements the honey and carrot beautifully.

Here's how to use it:

• Use the same amount:¾ cup (180ml) melted coconut oil, cooled slightly before mixing (so it doesn’t scramble the eggs).

• Refined coconut oil has no coconut taste, while unrefined (virgin) coconut oil will add a light coconut aroma. Either works—just depends on your preference.

A couple tips:

• If your kitchen is cold, the coconut oil might start to solidify when mixed with cold eggs or yogurt. To prevent this, make sure all wet ingredients (especially eggs and yogurt) are at room temperature.

• Coconut oil also tends to make baked goods even moister—which is perfect for what you're going for.

Want me to rewrite the ingredient list with coconut oil included and tips adjusted?

I was wondering about using my sourdough discard for good:

Not saying I'm going to use it, but can sourdough discard/starter work here or will it add too much tang?

ChatGPT was not selling it very well:

Great question. Sourdough discard can work in carrot cake—but with caveats:

✅ When it works well:

• Small amount (¼ to ½ cup max)

• Discard is not too old or sour-smelling

• Balanced with a good sweetener (like your honey)

❌ When it’s risky:

• Using too much can make it tangy or dense

• If it’s very acidic, it’ll overpower the honey and carrot

• If your leavening isn’t adjusted, you might get a gummy or collapsed center

👌 How to sneak in some discard:

If you want the extra nutrition (and zero waste!), here’s how:

To the current recipe, you can:

• Replace ¼ cup of the flour + ¼ cup of the yogurt with ½ cup sourdough discard

• Make sure discard is 100% hydration (equal parts flour + water)

• Use fresh-ish discard (1–2 days old, not weeks-old fridge stuff)

This will slightly deepen the flavor, not make it tangy.If you’re using a very mild starter, you can go up to ½ cup discard and adjust liquid just a bit (reduce milk by 1–2 tbsp if the batter looks too loose).

Let me know if you want me to integrate that into the recipe cleanly.

I decided to pass and also asked for the recipe again:

Ok no sourdough then. Do you mind rewriting the recipe as it was earlier for easy access bottom of chat

ChatGPT did just that:

Of course! Here's your finalized recipe, keeping it moist, rich, no frosting, more honey than sugar, no orange juice, and toddler/kid-friendly—with optional coconut oil included.

🥕 Super Moist Honey Carrot Ring Cake (No Frosting)

Makes: 1 standard ring/bundt cake (10–12 slices)Calories: ~230 per slice (based on 12)Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional; omit for toddlers)

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup (180ml) neutral oil (avocado, light olive, or melted coconut oil)

• ½ cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar

• ⅔ cup (200g) honey

• 3 large eggs

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups (200g) finely grated carrots (packed)

• ½ cup (120g) full-fat Greek yogurt or whole milk skyr

• ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk

Optional Add-ins:

(use 1 or none for picky eaters)

• ¼ cup crushed pineapple, very well-drained

• ⅓ cup finely chopped raisins or soft dates

• ½ cup rolled oats (blend into flour for picky toddlers)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour your ring or bundt pan well.

2. In a large bowl, whisk: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg (if using).

3. In another bowl, whisk together: oil, brown sugar, and honey. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, yogurt, and milk.

4. Fold in grated carrots and any optional add-ins.

5. Gently mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined—do not overmix.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and tap to release air bubbles.

7. Bake 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Check at 45 min.

8. Let cool 10–15 minutes in pan, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

💡 Tips:

• Use refined coconut oil if you don’t want a coconut taste.

• For ultra moist texture, wrap cooled cake and let sit overnight before slicing.

• Freezes beautifully in slices—great for lunchboxes or toddler snacks.

🧠 Nutrition (per slice, ~12 slices):

• Calories: ~230

• Protein: 4g

• Fat: 10g

• Carbs: 30g

• Sugar: 16g

• Fiber: 1.5g

Let me know if you want a muffin version or finger-food bars for toddlers!

Post making, I was actually shocked, and wanted to know what this just cost me, calorie wise:

Turned out amazing how many calories per slice

ChatGPT told me:

I’m glad it turned out amazing! 🙌 Let’s calculate the calories per slice more precisely based on the original recipe (without optional add-ins), assuming you made a 12-slice cake using:

Final Ingredient Breakdown (base recipe):

• Flour (260g all-purpose): ~950 kcal

• Brown sugar (100g): ~380 kcal

• Honey (200g): ~610 kcal

• Oil (¾ cup / 180ml):

  • Avocado or light olive oil: ~1,600 kcal

  • Coconut oil (melted): ~1,600 kcal

• Eggs (3 large): ~215 kcal

• Greek yogurt (120g): ~75 kcal

• Milk (60ml): ~40 kcal

• Carrots (200g): ~80 kcal

• Vanilla, spices, leavening: negligible

✅ Total (approximate):

~3,950 kcal per cake

➗ Per Slice (if cut into 12):

~330 calories per slice

If you added pineapple or raisins, bump it up by 15–25 kcal/slice depending on quantity.If you cut it into 10 thicker slices, you’re looking at ~395–400 kcal per slice.

Want me to run a version for 16 thinner slices or muffins?

I weighed the bite I had so wanted an honest caloric breakdown:

How many calories are 40 grams slice? If a slice is 1/20

ChatGPT told me:

Perfect—if your cake yielded 20 slices, and you're having a 40-gram slice, here's the math:

🎂 Total cake weight estimate:

From your ingredients, the baked cake likely weighs 800–850 grams after moisture loss (from carrots, yogurt, etc.).

Let’s assume 800g for a clean estimate.

⚖️ Caloric density:

We previously calculated ~3,950 kcal per cake.

So:3,950 kcal ÷ 800g = ~4.94 kcal per gram

🍰 For a 40g slice:

40g × 4.94 = ~198 calories

✅ Final Answer:

A 40g slice (1/20 of the cake) has about 198 calories.

Let me know if you want macros broken down too (protein, fat, carbs per 40g slice).

Scroll to the top or click the link below for the final (and honestly, amazing) recipe.

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