Amped up Carrot Cake

I decided to begin with an easy recipe to modify for my first attempt to meet Jane’s Challenge this year. I made four simple changes and was really happy with the results.

The first change I made was to replace some of the carrots in the recipe with other root vegetables. I thought this would enhance the flavor profile and improve the overall health benefits of the cake. I chose beets and radishes. I thought the sweetness of the beets and the peppery characteristic of the radishes would help compensate for the decreased amount of sugar and balance out the recipe.

To reduce the fat content in the recipe I decided to substitute the oil with an equal amount of applesauce. This also allowed me to reduce the total sugar amount by about 60% (397grams to 227grams).

Lastly, I swapped out an even amount of All Purpose Flour with Gluten-Free Flour. This makes it easier for the digestive system to process reducing unnecessary stress on the body.

These minor changes resulted in a great tasting moist cake that was just as sweet and flavorful as the original recipe and would satisfy any sugar craving.

Quantity: 1 - 9” Cake or 12 Muffins

Oven Temperature: 350ºF - about 45 - 50 minutes

Ingredients

280 g Carrots (shredded)

110 g Beets (shredded)

60 g Radishes (shredded)

227 g Sugar

142 g Applesauce

4 Eggs

9 g Vanilla

255 g Gluten Free Flour

6 g Baking Soda

3 g Salt

5 g Cinnamon

3 g Nutmeg

2 g Cloves

Top with chopped walnuts optional

Procedure:

1. Shred the vegetables into a bowl, mix to distribute evenly and set aside.

2. Add all the dry ingredients except the sugar into a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, whisk to distribute the ingredients and set aside.

3. Add sugar and applesauce to a mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until combined.

4. Begin adding the eggs one at a time and scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl in between additions until they have been incorporated.

5. Begin adding the remaining dry ingredients to the batter in small batches until it has all been incorporated.

6. Add the carrots and mix well.

7. Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan or scoop into muffin cups.

8. Bake in a 350ºF for about 45 to 50 minutes

9. Cool on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.