Showing posts with label carrot cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carrot cake. Show all posts

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Karina's TDAY Spicy Apple Carrot Cake

In my last entry I featured my family's incredible Thanksgiving meal and promised I would soon follow up with the dessert I made for it. Its a little late, but here is my spiced apple and carrot cake journey...


First I sliced two or three beautiful pink lady apples and packed them in a baking dish with some olive oil, fresh ginger, chopped hot peppers, cinnamon, powdered ginger, nutmeg, cayenne, agave, and sea salt. I set them in the oven at about 425* and roasted them until fairly soft and juicy (maybe 20 or 30 minutes).


While the apples were roasting I boiled a bag full of organic baby carrots until soft and then drained them. I put them in the food processor with my baked apples, agave, another round of the same spices, and some hemp milk.


I decided it still needed some more depth in flavor and consistency, so I added several scoops of raw crunchy almond butter.

I made my go-to vegan cake batter by combining:

2 cups water
3/4 cups light oil (I used safflower this time)
2 tbl white vinegar
4 tsp vanilla
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour (I used whole wheat instead and recommend it!)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda


Then I added the majority of my apple/carrot puree and mixed well. I saved about a cup or so of it to add to the frosting....


I added more cinnamon, cayenne, ginger and nutmeg until I was satisfied with the kick and had a delicious batter.


I formed two layers for my family's cake, and then made the rest as minis to sell at the market around the corner. I was afraid they might be a little dry, so to make sure, I punctured little holes over the tops of the finished baked goods and brushed a little maple syrup over them.


For the frosting I took several scoops of Earth Balance, a cup or so of powdered sugar, my cup of left over apple/carrot puree, sea salt, cinnamon and a touch of vanilla. I added more p. sugar and earth balance to get the flavor and thickness perfect, and set it in the fridge to set up a little bit.


I had a few vegan carrot/watermelon gummies leftover that I had made the week before, so I decided to finely slice these to decorate with. (I will soon add an entry on these gummies- for they were awesome!).


I garnished with shaved coconut, the last figs I got for the season (tear), almond slices, my gummy shapes and slices, and toasted carrot shreds I had baked with agave and a little olive oil.


It was a big hit. I personally was far too full from gorging myself at dinner to eat any that night, but I more than made up for it by having it for breakfast..for the next several mornings.

It was my first time substituting the whole wheat flour in my base recipe and I think I am switching over from here on out- not only is it better for you, it may have been even more moist and delicious than ever before. YUM!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

ariel's making ... carrot and zucchini cake


for my auntie yam's bday i decided to make her a carrot and zucchini cake. oh so healthy, right?


for this cake, you'll need:

1 c. grated organic carrots
1 grated organic zucchini
1/2 c. organic molasses
1 organic free-range egg
1 stick organic butter, melted
2 T. organic cinnamon
1/4 c. each of organic raisins, organic sunflower seeds and organic shredded coconut
1/2 t. each of baking powder and baking soda
1/2 c. organic fair-trade sugar
1 1/4 c. organic whole wheat flour

mix everything together except the flour. then add the flour to the wet mixture. (it's really that simple!)




pour the thick cake batter into a buttered cast iron pan and bake 350* for about 25 minutes or until it passes the clean toothpick test.


i topped it with some organic fair-trade powdered sugar and two tiny-mini organic carrots when it was all cool, and served it with some straus vanilla ice cream.


there was probably enough cake for about ten people ... but the five of us had no trouble devouring almost the whole thing in one night!

happy baking!

kisses,

ariel