Zucchini Carrot Cake. Vegan and Gluten Free.

Zucchini Carrot Cake.  Vegan and Gluten Free.  

I was trying out another recipe from Cara Reed’s new vegan and gluten free cookbook.  I mixed it up a bit and it turned out super delicious.  I had zucchini and carrots I wanted to use and just enough gluten free flour to pull this off.  This recipe would easily make awesome muffins or like I did – in a loaf pan sliced thicker then in half like a brownie.  Perfect snacking option for school, breakfast or dessert.

I opted not to use walnuts but they are pretty customary in carrot cake/breads.  My kids aren’t fans so I didn’t put them in.  I also didn’t ice this bread/cake but you certainly could if making cupcakes especially.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of gluten free flour mixture listed below or a prepackaged gluten free flour mixture.  If you aren’t gf – use all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 tsp of xanthan gum
*Walnuts – or any nut of your choice.  1/4 cups chopped.

Gluten free all-purpose flour blend:
3 cups of brown rice flour
3 cups of sorghum flour
1.5 potato starch, not flour
1.5 cup of arrowroot powder
Blend together and store in an airtight container or large ziploc baggie.

1 small zucchini, finely grated
2 medium carrots, finely grated
1/2 tsp of applesauce
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your loaf pan with a baking spray.  Set aside.

Add your gf flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, ginger, nutmeg and xanthan gum and whisk until combined.

In your stand mixer with paddle attached, blend the zucchini, carrots, applesauce, orange juice and vinegar.  Blend until combined.  Then add the dry mixture to the wet and blend.  If adding nuts, add by hand and mix.  Then pour into a prepared pan.  Bake for 52 minutes or so. Test if done with a toothpick to ensure the interior of the cake is done.   I baked exactly 52 minutes.  Let cool completely before slicing and serving.  That’s a huge tip with gluten free flour baked goods.

This was a recipe I made last week.  It was very popular in my house to say the least. I think the next time I make it I may opt for muffins for ease of portability with my kids because everyone was breaking off pieces and chunks like animals – ha ha.  Definitely a yummy recipe to try!  Great for Thanksgiving too.

On the fitness front…

Monday I ran 5.  Tuesday was a shorter run on the treadmill because I was weightlifting as well.  I ran 4.10.  Today is the anniversary of my brother’s death.  I went out just to run.  No goal. Not really paying attention to much – just moving my body.  Thinking.  Praying.  Dealing with all of the emotions that arose along the way.  It turned out to be a good therapudic run.

~oxo

 

— Knead to Cook