There are some recipes which just warm your heart – for me this is one of them. Growing up the idea of having a vegetable in the cake was completely foreign to me. If you have watched The Office, you might remember Kevin saying ‘This cake has vegetables in it, like a salad bar’. That was exactly my thought too until I tried my first slice of good carrot cake. One bite, and I was hooked. It quickly became my go-to dessert order anywhere I could find it.
I eventually set out to create my own healthier version – made without maida and refined sugar – while keeping all the magic of the original. The result? A carrot cake that has perfect texture – soft, tender and incredibly moist. The combination of carrots and dried cranberries give it the earthy, sweet and tangy flavor with walnuts adding a perfect amount of crunch. A touch of ground cinnamon brings warmth to this cake while the addition of Orange Zest gives it a unique aroma and hum of citrus.
I know enough chit chat, so grab your apron and let’s get baking!
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ cup jaggery powder
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 or ¾ cup carrots grated
- Zest of an orange
- Handful of walnuts and dried cranberries
Steps
- Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
- Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder together.
- Add orange zest to the above mixture and give it a whisk.
- In a separate bowl crack in an egg and vanilla and jaggery powder to it.
- Mix it using a whisk or hand mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add in the oil and give it a quick whisk.
- Now gently fold in the dry ingredients in batches using a spatula.
- Add in the carrots, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries to the mixture. Keep some walnuts and cranberries for decoration. Mix it lightly.
- Grease the loaf pan with oil and add parchment paper at the bottom.
- Transfer the mixture into the pan and sprinkle some walnuts and cranberries on top.
- Bake it at 180 degree celsius for 20-25 mins or until the skewer comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Then transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before enjoying a slice of it.
Tips
- Always sieve your dry ingredients for a fluffier cake.
- I like to bake it in a loaf pan and enjoy it as a tea cake but you can totally bake it in a 5 inch spring foam pan.
- I like the cranberries in my cake. They cut through the sweetness and add a tangy flavor to the cake. If you are someone who enjoys the rich sweetness, you can remove them.
- You can replace the walnuts with pecans or even any nut of your choice.
- You can add cream cheese frosting to it if you want to serve it at a party. This will make it more fancy. It will go perfectly with that.
This recipe has become a cherished weekly tradition in our home—baked with love and enjoyed throughout the week, especially with a comforting cup of coffee. I have made it for friends and family and they all loved it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Let me know in the comments section how it turned out!
Until next time, keep baking.
TheTorchedSpace 