Category: Dessert

Easy Spiced Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe

Published on by unanchoredeveLeave a comment

Now that the weather is warmer, I’m running and biking more often, leading to a greater appetite. So to satisfy my cravings, I enjoy baking my own pastries so I can add some veggies or fruit and sub healthier ingredients when possible. This recipe is loaded with fresh carrots from the local farmer’s market

Recipe

2 cups all-purpose white flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (omit the other spices if you want a simpler taste)

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped pecans ( I used chopped pecans that I toasted in my air fryer at 400 F for 5 minutes, but you can use walnut or an assortment of nuts if you are clearing out your pantry)

4 large eggs

¾ cup olive oil

2 cups coconut sugar (or brown sugar if you don’t have it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups of grated carrots

Icing

1/2 cup of cream cheese

1/2 juice of lemon

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of icing sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a bunt pan with butter.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, raisins, and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until evenly distributed and combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla, and carrots in another mixing bowl until smooth. 
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry flour mixture and fold together using a spatula until combined add the raisins and toasted nuts.
  5. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Cool cake, flip, and top with icing and more toasted nuts.

Eden Grinshpan’s Date Banana Bread with Coconut Crumble

Published on by unanchoredeveLeave a comment

I have a sweet tooth. I love mornings with smooth, bitter coffee and enjoy a baked good to balance the bitterness. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a decent store-bought banana bread that doesn’t take gluey. However, I also love eating bananas, so the flavor profile of sweet bananas, dates, and roasted nuts is highly appealing. During the pandemic, with the extra free time I had, I vowed to learn to cook and invested in a few cookbooks. Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan was one of those books. Eden is a top chef host and (as her social media presents) a down-to-earth girl next door, super chef, mom, and wife who knows how to cook good food. I have made this banana bread recipe and several others from her esteemed cookbook and have never regretted purchasing her cookbook.

Recipe

Coconut-Walnut Crumb Topping (I substituted pecans)

¼ Cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp or melted

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of cardamom (optional)

½ teaspoon of salt

Banana Bread

8 Tablespoons (1 stick or ½ cup of butter) melted and cooled

1 & ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup of dark brown sugar (I substituted coconut sugar)

3 ripe bananas mashed

6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about ½ cup)

1/3 cup of whole milk yogurt or sour cream (I used lactose free Greek yogurt)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of salt

1/3 cup lightly toasted and chopped walnuts (optional)

Additions

Salted butter

Flakey Sea Salt

Honey

Date Jam

Step 1

Make the banana bread crumble topping

In a small bowl add nuts, flour, coconut flakes, brown sugar, butter cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until it resembles a crumble texture.

Step 2

Make the Banana Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, used a hand mixer or whisk to combine the melted butter with brown sugar, bananas, dates, yogurt or sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
  3. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, shredded coconut, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Add half of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Fold in a the additional nuts (optional) and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter and then gently press the topping into the batter.
  6. Place the pan on baking sheet, in case of drips and bake until a skewer comes clean. Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. If the top of the bread starts to get to dark, cover it with aluminum foil.
  7. Serve with butter, sea salt, honey and/or date jam.

Date Jam (optional topping for the banana bread…also great additive for a charcuterie plate!)

Makes 1 Cup

20 pitted Medjool dates

In a small pot combine the dates with 2 cups of water. Over medium heat, simmer the dates as you break them up with a spoon. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Then transfer to a blender and blend until creamy. Transfer mixture back to the pot and cook over medium heat until it thickens to a jamlike consistency, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the jam to cool before storing it in a jar in the fridge for up to one week.

Blueberry Protein Scones

Published on by unanchoredeveLeave a comment

Baking always gives me a chance to decompress; it’s a time-out for my brain’s to-do list and instead lets me focus on the simple tasks of scooping, measuring, and mixing to the beat of chill music.

Since I love long-distance endurance training, running, biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing; therefore, I need carbs and protein to keep me going. I’m not a fan of grocery store pastries as they tend to be quite cakey or too sweet. Even good bakeries tend to overdo the sugar they use, and having a hard spike in my insulin means a crash where I’m moody and hungry. If I need the extra protein, I pair a scone with a boiled egg, and it’s an excellent base for prolonged endurance activity. I use the vanilla protein powder and the sugar substitute Monk Fruit to lower their glycemic index and make them slightly healthier. If you want the original recipe, adapted from Salley’s Baking Addiction, you can find it here.

Blueberry Protein Scones

Adapted from Salley’s Baking Addiction

Ingredients

  • 1 & ½ Cups of All Purpose Flour
  • ½ Cup of Vanilla Protein Powder
  • ½ Cup of Monk Fruit Sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 & ½ Teaspoons of Baking Powder
  • ½ Cup of Frozen Butter
  • ½ Cup of Cream (and a bit extra (2 tablespoons for the top, or milk)
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 & ½ Teaspoons of Vanilla
  • ½ Cup of Frozen Blueberries- (frozen is best; then they don’t get squished when mixing)
  • Brown Sugar to put on top (not required, but I like it)

Directions

  1. Mix flour, protein powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
  2. Take out the frozen butter and a box grater to grate it onto a cutting board.
  3. Put the butter scrapes into the flour mixture and mix, then put the bowl in the fridge to keep cold.
  4. Use a beater or whisk to combine the cream, egg, and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
  5. Bring out the large bowl and pour the wet ingredient along with the blueberries into the bowl.  Mix with a spoon, and then use your hands to squish it all into a ball. You may need more cream or flour here, depending on the texture.
  6. Once the ingredients are together, I take out a large piece of parchment paper and put the ball on a lightly floured surface. I used a rolling pin and my hand to flatten it into a disc. At this point, I usually wrap the disc in the paper with saran wrap and put it into the freezer for future use. (I typically pull the frozen disc out before a weekend road trip).
  7. But if you are making them right away, store the disc in the freezer and set the oven to 400F.
  8. When the oven is near temperature, take the disc out and cut it into triangles or slices. I usually cut into smaller pieces and make 12 scones, but if you prefer, you can make 6 larger ones.
  9. Then brush the top of the scones with cream and sprinkle with brown sugar. They take about 24 minutes in my oven, but everyone’s oven is different, so check them at 22 min and leave in longer if they are larger sections.
  10. Once they have cooled, try not to eat them all at once!
  11. Store them in an open bowl or empty plate. If you seal them in a plastic bag or container, they lose the dry flakey flavor and taste cakier (unless you prefer that texture).
Blueberry Scones

Valentine’s Paleo Chocolate Cake

Published on by unanchoredeve1 Comment

Valentine’s day is for love, and I love chocolate! Since I have a pretty big sweet tooth I decided to make my own cake and share with those I love. Mostly my Dad, he gets a lot of love this V-day since I’m still a single lady.  Making something from scratch makes me appreciate and savor dessert more. This cake turned out fabulously was work the work!

Valentines 2018 (4 of 6)Valentines 2018 (5 of 6) 

I swiped this recipe from the ambitious kitchen. 

INGREDIENTS
  • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
  • 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cups packed blanched fine almond flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use a high quality version)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the paleo chocolate frosting:
  • 1 (14 ounce) can coconut cream
  • 1 ½ cups dairy free chocolate chips
  • Pinch of salt

I used two baking pans, and yes the parchment paper is a must, easy to arrange the cake after and risk ripping it. To enhance it,  I used pecans and raspberries, but you can change the fruit or add valentine’s inspired candies if you wish.

Valentines 2018 (3 of 6)

  1. Making your frosting: Add the coconut cream, chocolate chips and a pinch of salt to a small pot and place over low heat. Whisk until melted. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to harden for 6 hours or until hard. Overnight is best!
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and side of pan with nonstick cooking spray. YOU SHOULD USE PARCHMENT PAPER or the cake is likely to stick. Please do not forget.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the melted and cooled coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Add almond milk and beat once more until mixture is well incorporated.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Mixture will be on the thicker side.
  5. Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached; rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to the fridge to finish cooling completely. Allow cake to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before removing from the pan and frosting. The cake should be room temperature when you frost it. This is very important. Cake can be made a day ahead if you’d like!
  6. Finish making your frosting: Scoop the hardened chocolate coconut cream frosting mixture into a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or a KitchenAid mixer to beat frosting until peaks form and it looks nice, fluffy and creamy. Use immediately!
  7. Layer cake, using about 1/3 -½ cup frosting between each layer, then frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Serves 12-16! Should be transferred to the fridge.

V-Day Cake

Valentines 2018 (2 of 6)