As the monsoon has already drenched the whole nation by now…the idea of eating or drinking something warm definitely comes to one’s mind. Today, I have the perfect recipe for such times : Spiced Carrot Cake an egg-less version of the classic Carrot Cake.

For me baking cakes at home is an activity that fills my heart with cheer. My version of Spiced Carrot Cake is not only soft, moist and delicious but is made of healthy ingredients. You will be surprised to know that its a whole wheat cake which is free of refined sugar.

I am always on the lookout for healthy alternatives in my baking and I am delighted with the results of this baking session of mine.

You might ponder how can a whole wheat cake without eggs be light and soft. The answer lies in the wholesome ingredients used in the recipe. I have used Flax eggs (a great substitute) instead of eggs and Organic Coconut Sugar instead of the refined sugar which we use on day-to-day basis.

Flax Seeds are great source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart healthy effects. Coconut Sugar is a healthier alternative to regular sugar as it has a lower Glycemic Index (GI) and contains few minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and potassium. However if you don’t find coconut sugar, you can very well use the regular one in this recipe.

I used the heart shaped mini cake mould from WhisQ which I recently bought. They look super cute..don’t they??

I baked this recipe for my mom’s friends and they have appreciated it to a great extent. I am sure if you are going to bake this for your family…they are going to love it as much as we did.

Lets move on to the recipe:-

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup: Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
• 3/4 cup: Coconut Sugar
• 1/2 cup: Any Vegetable Oil (I used Olive Oil)
• 2 tsp: Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp: Salt
• 1 tsp: Cinnamon Powder
•  1/2 tsp: Vanilla Essence
• 2-3 tbsp: Milk
• For Flax Eggs:
  • 2 tbsp: Ground Flax Seeds
  • 6 tbsp: Chilled Water
• 1 cup: Grated Carrots
• 1/4 cup: Chopped Nuts

Method

• Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 15-20 minutes
• To prepare the Flax Eggs ~ our substitute for eggs, powder the flax seeds and then add the chilled water to it. Blend it for another minute and set aside. After 10-15 minutes of rest, this flax seed mixture will turn gelatinous.
• Sieve together whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, salt and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together oil and coconut sugar until the sugar melts and is well incorporated. Then add the flax eggs to it and mix well. In case your wet mixture turns lumpy, blend them for 1-2 minutes in the mixer and it will turn fine.
• Now add the vanilla essence to the wet ingredients and mix well. Add the grated carrots to it and mix well.  Lastly add the chopped nuts into the mixture.
• Add the dry ingredients in small quantities alternating with 1 tbsp milk and mix them in cut and fold method. Do not over mix the batter else the cake will become dense. You need to incorporate the flour mix into the wet ingredients until no specs of flour are visible.
• Grease the baking tin and line it with parchment paper. In case you have a silicone mould like mine, brush them with oil lightly. Pour the cake batter and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
• Once the cake is baked for 30 minutes, check the cake by inserting a knife or skewer if they are done. If it comes out clean, bring the cake out of the oven. If the cake is bit undone, bake for another 5-7mins until completely cooked.
• Let the cake cool completely before demoulding from the baking tin.

Happy Baking in the monsoons!!