SPICED GINGER AND CARROT CAKE BARS. (gluten free + vegan)

  Autumns has most definitely arrived, the airs crisp and its getting crunchy under foot, its time to put away my denim cut off shorts ( That certainly haven't seen much of a summer) to the back of my wardrobe once more, pull on a bit of knitwear and cosy up with cinnamon, blankets and hot cocoas.... and this ridiculously delicious and unbelievable healthy spiced carrot cake.

These healthified carrot cake bars are taste indulgent and are perfectly moist. They have a  lovely combination of flavours with kick of ginger, yummy aromatic cinnamon and a perfect hint of warming autumnal spices. Its guilt free low and everything but flavour! oh and i've made it vegan and gluten free so nobody gets left out...

Nothing goes better with carrot cake than rich creamy frosting, I lightened it all up and I used Alpro soya yohurt in stead of  full fat cream cheese and it worked incrediably well. I was sent some coupons by the people Alpro to try out some of there products. oh my, from my first spoonful of this soya yoghurt I was hooked! I absolutely adore it, its thick and creamy and revolutionized my breakfast!
Ingrediants makes 8 bars
3 medium carrots grated
1/2 cup applesauce (I  used homemade)
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chestnut flour
1 egg white or 1tsp of flaxseed
1/4 cup granulated sweetener
1/4 cup plain GF flour mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp groound ginger
1tsp pumpkin spice or all spice
1tsp xanthum gum1tsp gluten free baking powder.
(plus your choice of add ins...candied ginger
rasins
chopped walnuts)
Icing
1/4 cup Alpro soya yogurt
2 tsp cup icing sugar or 1tsp honey
1 tsp xanthum gum.

 Directions
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C

• In a large mixing bowl  add sugars, egg and applesauce, mix and thoroughly whisk up a until light an fluffy.

• stir in grated carrot, ginger pieces, raisins and walnuts.

• sift flour, gum, baking powder and spices and cinnamon.

• carefully fold batter until combined

• spoon mixture in to a baking tin and smooth down. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

For the icing
Add gum and choice of sweetener to soya yogurt and thoroughly mix it together until it thickens, spread on to one bar and top with another slice of cake. for a finishing touch, drizzle with icing.

Baking with Beets

Or bake n' beetz!  This morning I popped down to St.Albans wednesday market and picked up some cooked beetroot amoungst other fresh produce.
Once home I decided to have a little experiment in the kitchen. I had chocolate on the brain and decided I wanted to create a kind of red velvet cake that incrporated my much loved beets. Using my carrot cupcake recipe as a base I got to work.

I added some extra cocoa powder to the fat free mix and popped the batter into the oven and waited (impatiently) for the results!

After extensive taste testing, they're good, chocolatey yet earthy, I'm just not completely satisfied with the recipe or quantities just yet so i will keep trying as i think they have potential. for now i will slop on as much icing possible and will post recipe when my discerning sweet tooth has given it a full stamp of approval.

Mini Zesty Carrot Cakes

I baked some more dog biscuits the other day, carrot and seedy ones. The smell drove me mad and ever since i have had a hankerin' for some carrot cake, well today my dreams came true.

I used a mixture of this and katie's recipe. Since im only really baking for myself (harry and beebz dont share this sweet tooth) i have adapted and halved the recipe.

Makes 5 big boy healthy cupcakes.
85 calories each (110 with generous amount of frosting)
( there are only 4 in the pictures because i had a cheeky warm as soon as i got em out of the oven.)

1/2 cup whole meal flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of splenda
1/2 cup apple sauce/puree
1 egg
tsp baking powder
orange zest
1 large carrot
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt.

• In a large mixing bowl mix  and thoroughly whisk up all wet ingredients.

• grate carrot and orange zest and add to mix.

• sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

• carefully fold batter

• spoon mixture in to muffin papers

bake at 180 degrees for 18- 20 minutes.

once cooled I sliced each cake in half and filled with a creamy filling. For the frosting i used half a package of fat free cream cheese and 2 tsp of splenda sweetner. dusted with icing sugar to finish.

this special one was topped with extra frosting and sprinkle with chopped almonds.