I asked my father what he would request before I left for boarding school. A carrot cake it was. How bad I felt, then, when I opened the fridge to unveil only one carrot! Not wanting to disappoint, I cheated a little.
Orange kumara makes a delicious and valid replacement for carrot in this cake. You can barely tell the difference in taste! It also adds a fair share of fibre, antioxidants, Vitamin C, and healthy carbohydrates.
I would have preferred to use entirely wholemeal flour – but, alas, my food stocks are running perilously low! (By this I mean I still have twice the amount of food as a regular person). I had to make do with white flour plus a bit of bran to make up for the fibre.
This recipe can be nut-free and dairy-free.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
– 1 orange kumara (around 480-500 grams), peeled and sliced lengthwise
– 1 carrot, peeled
– 1/3 cup olive oil (I used extra-virgin)
– 1/3 cup milk of choice
– 3 eggs
– 2 teaspoons each mixed spice and cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon each ground ginger and allspice
– 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
– 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
– 1/2 cup bran flakes
– 2 cups plain flour
– 4 teaspoons baking powder
– 2 Tablespoons rice malt syrup
– 4 Tablespoons dextrose, or to taste
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 22 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Grate the kumara and carrot in your food processor, using the fine grating attachment.
2. Replace the grater with the regular blade, and pour in the oil, milk, and eggs. Process briefly, then tip in the remaining ingredients. Process until just combined before spreading into the tin.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges clean. Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with yoghurt/ cinnamon/ butter, and enjoy! 🙂
