As I have talked about on the blog before, my family enjoys “clean eating” and real food recipes. Our goal is to eat minimally processed whole foods that I can prepare in a healthy and tasty way. When I make this carrot cake loaf, I use a variety of flours and grains; local, raw honey; Tropical Traditions coconut oil, homemade yogurt from fresh Jersey cow milk, local pastured eggs, organic fruits and vegetables, homemade vanilla extract, and organic maple syrup.
However, even if you are using refined grains and sugars or store-bought eggs and honey, you can adapt this recipe to wherever you are in your healthy-choice-baby-steps. Maybe when you make this loaf, you’ll want to try using coconut oil for the first time (see links below on working with coconut oil); maybe you could choose to try a new grain; maybe this week you can pick up some honey at your local farmer’s market; or maybe you’ll want to purchase vanilla beans so that you’ll have homemade vanilla extract for the holiday season.
As you work on baby steps to building your whole foods pantry and choosing real food ingredients, you’ll fall in love with eating tasty treats that are full of good and healthy fats, minimal sweeteners, and a variety of carbohydrate options.
Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
(recipe yields two loaves)
In general, I mix up part of this carrot cake loaf the night before and let it sit overnight to “soak” (see below for more information on why I “soak” my grains). If you choose not to soak your grains, then just skip step 2.
Ingredients:
..2 cups flour (I like to use a combination of oat flour and coconut or almond flour. You can also used combinations of spelt, whole wheat, barley, or other flours)
..1 cup plain yogurt or cultured buttermilk
..1 cup warm water
..3/4 cup honey or maple syrup
..1 cup coconut oil (*see note below on measuring your coconut oil if you are new to using it)
..3 eggs
..1 tablespoon vanilla extract
..1/2 teaspoon salt
..2 teaspoon baking soda
..1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
..2 cups carrots (grated) (or use a combination of carrot and zucchini)
..1 cup shredded coconut
..1 cup crushed pineapple or shredded apple
..1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1. Mix together the flour, yogurt, water, and honey.
2. Loosely cover the bowl and place in refrigerator overnight (**see note below on refrigeration). (Skip this step if you do not have a preference for soaking your grains before consuming.)
3. Add to the flour mixture: coconut oil*, eggs, and vanilla. Beat vigorously until well mixed. Then stir in salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Finally, add the carrot, shredded coconut, crushed pineapple (or shredded apple), and nuts.
4. Pour mixture into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 – 70 minutes (until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). NOTE: Baking time depends highly upon the types of grains and flours were used, whether or not the flours were soaked, and how thin / thick the yogurt is. Monitor more closely whether or not the toothpick comes out “clean” rather than sticking to the clock.
5. After cooling 20 minutes in the pans, turn the loaves out to cool on a wire rack.
6. Top with a cream cheese frosting:
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream together:
..8 ounces cream cheese
..1/4 cup butter
..1 tablespoon vanilla
..2 tablespoons maple syrup
Spread frosting generously onto thick slices of carrot cake loaf, and enjoy!
*Coconut oil is in a solid state if it is at a temperature of 75 degrees F or below. Above that, it is liquid. For this recipe, liquid (or softened) coconut oil is easier to work with, so I suggest to warm it just slightly before mixing it into your batter. I like to melt my coconut oil with as little heat as possible, so either warm it for about 30 seconds in a saucepan on the stove, put it in a glass bowl near a warm oven, or even put your 1 cup of coconut oil behind your laptop fan, and it’ll be softened in no time (ask me how I know 😉 ).
**I use homemade yogurt made from raw milk, and I am comfortable leaving the mixture at room temperature on the counter overnight. However, if I were using store-bought, pasteurized yogurt, I would store the mixture in the fridge overnight.
Original Post Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
Resources and Links
(If you order by clicking on any of the Tropical Traditions links and have never purchased from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.)
..How and Why to Soak Grains by Katie at Kitchen Stewardship.
..The Science Behind Soaking Grains by Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs.
..This post is happily shared with Freedom Fridays, Hearts for Home, Thrive @ Home Thursday, Thriving Thursday, A Little R & R Wednesdays, Wow Me Wednesday, Raising Homemakers Homemaking LinkUp, and Works for Me Wednesday..
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