Carrot cake is a classic, at least in the UK.
I remember when I tried it for the first time, after arriving to the UK many, many years ago... It was almost epiphany, that you could add veggies to a cake and have it so delicious. Cakes in Poland, to this day, are super tasty, I can't deny that, but rather more conventional. More like Paul Hollywood or Mary Barry would bake. Flour, eggs, sugar, fat maybe, and then more sugar. I am not saying that these are bad cakes, because if I did my tastebuds would go on strike. I love them.
But...For quite a few years now [6-7?] I have been baking rather more nutritious sweets, then just "sweets". Because J and myself have a bit of a sweet tooth and I needed to find a way to incorporate more healthy stuff in my bakes. But mainly because, with Js eczema, it was impossible for him to eat cakes baked with regular wheat flour, eggs [chicken eggs, to be precise, as we discovered over the years] or butter.
There are so many carrot cake recipes but most of them contain enough carrot, for my and Js taste. Even I posted a carrot cake, full with nuts and seeds, before [here]. But this now is a vegan option [unless you use honey for the icing].
J loves his food moist, to the point, that once I threatened him to dump his sandwiches in the bucket of water before serving 😂. And this carrot cake delivered just that perfect moist. It is dense, full of carrots, so the baking time must be extended, and full of raisins to add more moist and to compensate for not too much sugar.
Let's get baking!
What do you need?
12 portions, or 16 smaller? The baking tin is 20x20 cm [8x8 inch]
Cake
350g grated carrots;
150g brown sugar [soft brown, either light or dark, both add yummy caramel taste];
100g ground almonds or hazelnuts;
200g buckwheat or wholemeal spelt flour;
70-100g raisins;
1 small orange or mandarin [zest + 2 Tbsp of juice]
150ml plant milk [or other milk, if you use it];
50g coconut oil melted [or 3-4 Tbsp sunflower oil, as I sometimes add instead, when I do not want to clean a pot after melting coconut oil 👍];
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
Icing
this is optional, but the cake does taste good with the icing.although most of the time I can't be bothered making it. Lazy...
200g cashew nuts [soaked until they get soft, which is around 6 hours]
6 Tbsp of golden sirup [or maple sirup; or honey {but then, of course, it is not a vegan option}. Each one creates slightly offered texture and taste, so just try and close what you prefer]
1 tsp of cinnamon or ginger [it is optional. Choose which spice you prefer 😁. I have done with both and both taste delicious]
few almond and coconut flakes to sprinkle on top after baking --> optional
How to?
1. Line the baking tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to gas mark 5 [190°C] .
2. In a big ball combine together dry ingredients [flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, sugar, raisins, ground almonds.
3. Add all wet ingredients: carrots, coconut [or sunflower] oil, milk and orange zest with juice and combine all together with a wooden spoon. It should take 1 minute or so. Just to combine all well. Straight after orange juice[=acid] is in contact with soda, soda starts working, so it is rather crucial to get the mixture into the oven sooner rather then later.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the baking tin and bake for about 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from tin and, if icing the cake, allow it to cool completely.
6. For the icing - blend all ingredients in the food processor until as smooth, as you can get. Spread over the completely cooled cake and sprinkle with some almond or coconut flakes.
Enjoy!
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