Ginger Carrot Beet Cake

I always think it’s a shame when people can’t get into yoga. I have some of my greatest realizations on the mat. When practicing at home I often use a YouTube video as a guide, one of my favorites being Lesley Fightmaster. She always ends her videos with a quote to meditate on, this week was one from Wayne Dyer – “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”

You’re probably wondering how this relates to these photos of delicious cake. While I was pondering this quote I was focusing on my desire to make people see vegetables as more than what they traditionally are (a side dish, a bed for meat, something to pretend to eat but secretly hide in your napkin). On a more superficial level, as it was a class about handstands and going upside down, I thought it would be fun to do a cake upside down in a bundt pan!

When deciding what to put into this creation I figured, why limit myself to just one vegetable. Who can resist a good challenge (I cannot. FYI).

Incorporating carrots into a dessert is not a new concept. Carrot cake was a birthday staple in my childhood home. That being said, for quite a long time I refused to eat it as the word ‘carrot’ grossed out my adolescent self being that close to ‘cake’. The usual additions of raisins and nuts didn’t make it anymore appealing.

When I finally did try carrot cake I realized how much moisture the vegetable added to the cake and the bright warming flavors the spices provide.

Beets are naturally very sweet so they are a great addition to a dessert especially when trying to reduce the amount of added sugar.

This cake has some truly earthy flavors, combined with a sweetness and spiciness that all work together to form a triad of deliciousness.

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Ginger Carrot Beet Cake

An earthy, moist, midly sweet spiced carrot cake with the addition of beets and ginger. Topped with a light and tangy cream cheese/whipped cream frosting.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 14

Author Shay Bocks

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs separate yolks and whites
• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 1/4 cups grated carrot
• 1 cup grated beetroot can add 1-3 extra tablespoons if desired
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger chopped
• Frosting
• 1 cup whipping/heavy cream
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup coconut date cream**
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan with cooking spray (I love coconut oil spray)
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a medium bowl
3. Combine the sugar, water, egg yolks, and oil in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer
4. Add the flour and spice mixture into the wet ingredients
5. In a small-medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks
6. Using a wooden spoon, add the grated carrots, beetroot, and ginger to the mixture, before gently folding in the egg whites.
7. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and cook for 40-50 minutes depending on how hot your oven is. Be sure a knife comes out clean from the center.
8. Frosting
9. Whip cream with hand beater until it forms stiff peaks
10. In second bowl beat the cream cheese with a hand beater and add in the coconut date cream
11. beat in the whipped cream until combined.
12. Add vanilla, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
13. Once cake has cooled frost cake and top with chopped crystallized ginger to taste
14. **coconut date cream can be made by combining a half a can of coconut milk with 6-8 pitted medjool dates on the stove in a small pan over low heat, stirring and simmering until dates are broken down. Blend in a food processor or use immersion blender to reach a creamier consistency. Increase number of dates to sweeten.