Whole Wheat Carrot Snacking Cake
Super moist, fragrant, not too sweet carrot snack cake.
Whole Wheat Carrot Snacking Cake
Makes 1- 20x20cm (8x8in) cake pan
My definition of a snacking cake is a little different from others. For me, a snacking or snack cake should be hand-held, it may or may not have frosting (I prefer no frosting, less messy) and I’d prefer not to feel guilty while eating it. It’s something you bake on a Saturday morning, cut, and leave on the counter for your family to snack on all weekend.
This snack cake uses only whole grains, and a high carrot ratio compared to most carrot cakes to make something that is both tender and toothsome. I also use my favorite boiled orange technique to add fragrance and moisture to the earthy, lightly spiced cake. If you want your snacking cake to look “pretty” you can dust it with powdered sugar.
“Recipe Tips:
1. Cool the cake to at least room temperature or slightly warmer. The high moisture ratio means that if the cake is cut too soon it will become mushy when cut and seem undercooked.”
Ingredients
150-170g (1 medium) orange
56g (4 T) unsalted butter
48g (4 T) coconut oil
Dry Ingredients
228g (1.75 c) whole wheat flour
180g (0.75 c) dark brown sugar
65g (0.50 c) old-fashioned rolled oats
8g (2 t) baking powder
4g (1 t) kosher salt
2g (0.50 t) baking soda
1.5 t ground cinnamon
0.50 t ground nutmeg
0.50 t ground ginger
0.50 t ground cardamom
0.25 t ground allspice
Wet Ingredients
8g (2 t) vanilla extract
80g (0.25c + 2 T) buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature
320g (2.25 c) carrots, shredded
Recipe Know-how
1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil.
Add the orange. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
Cook for 1 hour or until a knife inserted meets no resistance.
If not soft when tested continue to cook for 5 – 10 minutes longer or until soft.
Remove to a plate and cool for 5 minutes.
Quarter the orange and remove any seeds.
Place the orange into a food processor and puree until smooth.
Do not remove the peel or rind of the orange, place everything except the seeds to be pureed.
Pour into a medium mixing bowl.
Cool completely.
2. In a small pan place the butter.
Over medium heat, brown the butter until a deep golden color but not black.
Remove from the heat.
Add the coconut oil to prevent the butter from continuing to cook.
Cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F.
Line a 20x20 cm (8x8 in) square baking pan with parchment. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk combine the dry ingredients mixing well to fully combine.
5. Whisk the vanilla into the cooled fat and pour into the bowl with the orange puree.
Add the eggs and buttermilk to the bowl with the puree.
Whisk until fully combined.
Add the carrots and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Using a rubber spatula stir until there is no dry flour remaining.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the batter once more and pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top and rapping on the counter 3 or 4 times to settle.
Place the pan in the oven and bake 30 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
The cake is fully cooked when an instant-read thermometer reads 98 C or 210 F..
Remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 5 minutes in the pan.
Remove the cake from the pan and cool to just warm or room temperature.
7. Slice into 16 squares and serve.
