So I decided to try making a carrot cake recipe that I have made many times, but with a few alternative ingredients. I'm feeling like I could have pushed it further with my replacements but didn't want it to be a total flop as I haven't played with enough alternatives to get comfortable yet - so I am going to keep playing with things. I could have tried a recipe on Pinterest that is already modified, but I wanted to try a recipe that I already know and love, as ultimately I would like to be able to convert some of my personal favourite recipes into healthier or less processed versions (be it lower in calories, lower in sugar, trying gluten free or whole grain flours, and incorporating more fruits and veggies as natural sweeteners, as well as honey or syrup vs. white/brown sugar and corn syrup, etc. I haven't quite figured out what I am doing yet, but I feel the need to start experimenting!
I am using an old recipe I printed off AllRecipes back in 2009. The link doesn't work anymore, so I've typed it up for you.
Ingredients:
Cake:
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (I subbed unsweetened almond milk with 1 TBSP of vinegar)
3/4 cup of vegetable oil (I think I could have tried a combination of applesauce and coconut oil instead - maybe next time depending on how this turns out)
1 1/2 cups white sugar (I used Splenda 1 to 1 ratio)
2 TSP vanilla extract
2 TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted a gluten free flour for cakes/baking, etc. 1 to 1 ratio)
2 TSP baking soda
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1 cup flakes coconut (I used unsweetened shredded coconut)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't have any so I skipped)
1 (8oz) can of crushed pineapple with juice (I pureed tidbits with juice and used 1 cup)
1 cup of raisins (I soaked them first in hot water to plump them)
Icing:
1 brick (8oz) of cream cheese - room temperature
6 TBSP of unsalted butter - room temperature
2 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar (I used a product called SWERVE that is an icing sugar replacement with a 1 to 1 ratio - I found the texture to be weird at the 2 cups mark, so I didn't add the last 1/2 cup)
1 TSP vanilla extract
2 TBSP lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8X12 inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.
5. Using a large wooden spoon or very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
6. Pour into prepared 8X12 inch pan, and bake for 1 hour. Check with toothpick for light crumb.
7. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes
8. Prepare icing, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl, slowly add the confectioners sugar and beat until free of lumps. stir in vanilla and lemon juice. (mine required a hand mixer and was still quite thick - so I iced while the cake was still somewhat warm)
9. Once cake is cooled, frost and serve. You can sprinkle additional chopped walnuts or arrange walnut halves on top if you choose.
Serves 15
So I think the cake needed to cook a bit longer even though it wasn't testing as undercooked...it seemed a bit wet in the middle (but that could have been my modifications).
It didn't get as fluffy as it normally would with regular flour and sugar, but it tasted good.
The icing was super sweet (we haven't been eating much for sweetened items other than fruit, honey and syrup...so I would prefer it without icing) also, the icing had a weird aftertaste to me - like it was good, but like that minty aftertaste from gum...but there is no mint - so it must have been the new sweetener.
All in all it is okay, but I wouldn't make my modifications to this recipe again (I'm glad I didn't modify it further!)
I am using an old recipe I printed off AllRecipes back in 2009. The link doesn't work anymore, so I've typed it up for you.
Ingredients:
Cake:
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (I subbed unsweetened almond milk with 1 TBSP of vinegar)
3/4 cup of vegetable oil (I think I could have tried a combination of applesauce and coconut oil instead - maybe next time depending on how this turns out)
1 1/2 cups white sugar (I used Splenda 1 to 1 ratio)
2 TSP vanilla extract
2 TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted a gluten free flour for cakes/baking, etc. 1 to 1 ratio)
2 TSP baking soda
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1 cup flakes coconut (I used unsweetened shredded coconut)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't have any so I skipped)
1 (8oz) can of crushed pineapple with juice (I pureed tidbits with juice and used 1 cup)
1 cup of raisins (I soaked them first in hot water to plump them)
Icing:
1 brick (8oz) of cream cheese - room temperature
6 TBSP of unsalted butter - room temperature
2 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar (I used a product called SWERVE that is an icing sugar replacement with a 1 to 1 ratio - I found the texture to be weird at the 2 cups mark, so I didn't add the last 1/2 cup)
1 TSP vanilla extract
2 TBSP lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8X12 inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.
5. Using a large wooden spoon or very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
6. Pour into prepared 8X12 inch pan, and bake for 1 hour. Check with toothpick for light crumb.
7. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes
8. Prepare icing, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl, slowly add the confectioners sugar and beat until free of lumps. stir in vanilla and lemon juice. (mine required a hand mixer and was still quite thick - so I iced while the cake was still somewhat warm)
9. Once cake is cooled, frost and serve. You can sprinkle additional chopped walnuts or arrange walnut halves on top if you choose.
Serves 15
So I think the cake needed to cook a bit longer even though it wasn't testing as undercooked...it seemed a bit wet in the middle (but that could have been my modifications).
It didn't get as fluffy as it normally would with regular flour and sugar, but it tasted good.
The icing was super sweet (we haven't been eating much for sweetened items other than fruit, honey and syrup...so I would prefer it without icing) also, the icing had a weird aftertaste to me - like it was good, but like that minty aftertaste from gum...but there is no mint - so it must have been the new sweetener.
All in all it is okay, but I wouldn't make my modifications to this recipe again (I'm glad I didn't modify it further!)
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