Amazing Carrot Cake - Oil, Egg, Sugar, & Gluten Free (but it still tastes terrific) Plant Based Cake

It has almost been two years since we started our plant based journey, and in those (almost) two years, I've made and tried some really bad cakes. I had pretty much given up even considering making cakes - even for birthdays, until I came across this recipe from Straightupfoods.com.

As I was making this recipe, I had some confusion reading the recipe and did a couple of things incorrectly. I also added some additional ingredients. Following is my adaptation, which we loved. 

·       3 cups nondairy milk

·       8 ounces pitted dates (14-16 Medjools or 28-32 Deglet Noor), chopped

·       1 very ripe banana

·       1 cup raisins - divided

·       2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)

·       3.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

·       4 teaspoons cinnamon

·       4 teaspoons baking powder

·       2 teaspoon baking soda

·       2 teaspoons sea salt
      1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

·       3 cups grated carrots (4-6 medium)

·       1 cup chopped walnuts

·       ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for the garnish (lightly toasted if desired)

·       Vanilla Frosting (below)

Heat oven to 350*F.

Place oats in blender, and blend until a fine powder is formed. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.

Place milk, dates, banana, raisins and vanilla in blender and blend until smooth. (Soak for 15-20 minutes first to soften if not using a high powered blender.)

Add cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the oat flour and mix with a whisk to incorporate.

Mix in the contents from the blender.

Mix in the carrots, remaining raisins, nuts, and coconut.

Line 2 nine inch cake rounds with parchment paper, and divide batter between the two pans.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with vanilla frosting (Double this recipe), and garnish with toasted coconut flakes.

Plantains a la "Gloria"

I probably shouldn't talk about how my husband and I ate the entire pan of these - inhaled! The other inhabitants of our home were only slightly "put out". 

When I lived in Guatemala, I fell in LOVE with plantains, or platanos as we called them. It didn't matter how they were cooked...we would be walking down the street and we would catch wafts of air, full of sweet platains. Then, we would have plantains on the mind. Mmmmmm

Baked, fried, boiled, microwaved, black & moldy (which makes them super sweet), green or in between - it doesn't matter how you cook them, plantains are super versatile and delicious! 

This plantain recipe is a knock off of a treat Guatemalan friends made for me while I lived there - with a couple of my own twists. 

For this recipe, you will want ripe plantains. If you can't find ripe ones, you'll have to be patient. You can put them in a brown paper bag and in a cupboard for several days (or weeks) so that they can ripen. 

To test for ripeness, they should be soft to touch, almost to the extent of a banana that you would throw out for being too soft - almost. 

They may also be black and a little moldy on the outside - this is okay, softness is the key indicator (just depending on how they have ripened, they may get black, and they may not). 

4-6 medium to large plantains

1/2 cup coconut milk

1-2 Tablespoons coconut sugar, or 100% maple syrup

Salt

Cinnamon

Ground Cardamon

Trim both ends of the plantains, then run a knife along the length of one side. Use this slice, to open and peel plantain. 

Slice into slight diagonals just shy of 1/2" slices. 

Place in the bottom of a baking dish.

Sprinkle with salt - think of salted caramel, the salt makes the sweet "pop".

Sprinkle with cinnamon, and ground cardamon.

Pour coconut milk over, then sprinkle with coconut sugar. 

Cover with foil, and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. 

Remove foil and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

*Fresh pear slices can also be added to this treat