If you grew up in Italy during the ’90s, you’ll remember Camille—a soft, sweet carrot cake snack tucked into school bags or enjoyed as a treat. This healthier version captures the nostalgia while skipping the refined sugars and packaged ingredients.
Made with whole almonds, oats, fresh carrots, and a hint of orange, these mini cakes are as wholesome as they are delicious. They’re easy to bake, require just one bowl, and have the same light, spongy texture that made the original so popular.
Whether you bake them in a classic dome mould or a simple muffin tin, Camille are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or an afternoon pick-me-up. They’re proof that you don’t need a package to enjoy something truly special.
What are ‘Camille’?
Camille are small, moist orange-flavoured cakes that are a beloved treat in Italy. They’re traditionally made with carrotand orange zest, offering a light, fruity sweetness. The cake is usually made with almond flour and whole eggs, giving it a soft texture. The name “Camille” refers to the famous Italian brand Camille by the company Mulino Bianco, which is part of the Barilla group. These cakes are widely available in supermarkets across Italy and have become a staple snack for many. Camille were a staple snack that parents would add to school bags on the way to school, anyone around my age who were a kid in the 80s and 90s would remember of these sweet treat!
Although originally a packaged snack, homemade versions of Camille are also popular and are sometimes made in smaller, single-serving sizes.
Tips
- The key to a vibrant, fragrant cake is fresh orange zest and fresh orange juice. Avoid bottled juice, as it doesn’t have the same fresh flavour.
- When mixing the ingredients in the food processor, blitz and pulse just enough to mix the ingredients together. Overmixing can result in a denser texture. Mix until just combined to maintain that light, airy crumb.
- For extra depth, try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg. These spices complement the orange and carrot flavours beautifully.
Swaps
Whole almonds: you could swap these with ground almonds. If you do, blitz all the other ingredients first as instructed. Then add the ground almonds and gently stir them in with a spoon until just combined — no need to blend again. I haven’t tried this version myself but you should achieve a similar result.
Coconut oil: it gives a subtle flavour which I really like but feel free to swap with any other neutral oil or even extra virgin olive oil, for a richer flavour.
Honey: I use honey but maple syrup also work.
Storage
Room temperature: Camille cakes store beautifully and often taste even better the next day. Once cooled completely, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
Fridge: for longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 3-4 days, but let them come to room temperature before eating for the best texture and flavour.
Freezer: they also freeze well. Wrap them individually or place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature or give them a gentle warm-up in the oven to refresh them.
More Carrot Cake Recipes
- Healthy Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
- 6 Ingredients Healthy Carrot Cake Bars
- Healthy 5-Ingredient No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
- High-Protein Plant-Based Breakfast Burrito
Camille (Italian Carrot Cake)
Ingredients
- 2-3 carrots ~200g
- 120 g whole almonds
- 60 g oats
- 60 ml honey or maple syrup for a vegan option
- 60 ml of orange juice and zest ~1 orange
- 30 ml coconut oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients straight into your food processor and blitz ( to make sure you have a light and spongy end result for your mini cakes make sure you don’t over mix the batter, with my food processor I blitz for ~1 min).
- Pour the batter into your preferred mould (I used a silicon dome mould to recreated the classic Camille shape that you would find at the supermarket but if don’t have it don’t worry, a muffin tin will do the job )
- Bake 30-40 mins at 180C.
- Once out of the oven a cooled down slightly, remove from the mould and let them cool down completely on a cooling rack.