Paleo Coconut and Carrot Cake

In my GCSE year, I studied food technology where by myself and my class mates would find our favourite recipes to cook, explore food, and learn about the science behind it. My friend Emily decided, for her final cooking practical, that she would make a carrot and coconut cake; and oh my was it scrummy! She later gave me the recipe and I made it a few times since, sharing it with another few who asked.  Seven years later, and I have (annoyingly) misplaced the well-used scrap of paper that read the recipe to Emily's carrot and coconut cake (DANG)!!  So... using my foggy memory, my interest in paleo food and a little research into Paleo baking, I have attempted to recreate this little gem; I substituted flour for coconut flour, sugar for honey, and butter for coconut oil. PALEO here we come!
The coconut ingredients in the cake keep the whole thing completely moist, while the raisins and the walnuts give it a little bit of texture.

I think I have succeeded in recreating it? ....... Well you can judge that after making it yourselves....

For the icing, I used Greek yoghurt and for some Paleo followers, they would argue that this is not part of the diet. You can decide weather you want to add this or not, and by all means make a different icing!! The one I have put here is only a suggestion!!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 medium carrots, grated

4 eggs, beaten until they are well scrambled

1/4 coconut flour

1/2 desicated coconut

1/4 linseeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tsp cinnamon

1 heaped tsp baking powder

Icing: (optional)

2 tbsp fat free greek yoghurt

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

Toasted coconut flakes

Directions:

Set oven to 180 degrees. Line a medium sized tin loaf with baking parchment, and grease to make sure nothing sticks.

Wash, peel and grate your carrots. Set aside.

In a bowl, melt coconut oil so it is liquid, and beat well with the honey.

Add your beaten eggs, and sift in your coconut flour over the top (this is to make sure there are no lumps!). 

Beat well.  You will be able to see the coconut flour expand and thicken the batter. Make sure there are no lumps!  Add your grated carrot, your linseeds, raisins, chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut and baking powder. Beat well until all the ingredients are mixed well.

Tip mixture into your prepared cake tin and set in the oven. 

Bake for about 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.  Equally you can make the mixture into muffins, but keep in mind it will probably take a shorter time to bake!

Once cooked, take it out and set it onto a wire rack to cool. 

The Icing is optional, but I think it adds something a little extra to the flavour... plus it looks pretty too! To make the icing, measure out all of your ingredients into a bowl.

Beat well. It should look something like this....

In a small frying pan, tip out a large handful of coconut flakes and put them into the pan dry. On a low heat, toast the flakes until golden brown. Keep your eye on them, they will start to brown very quickly! 

Once the cake has cooled, spread over your icing evenly and sprinkle on your toasted coconut flakes.

Serve and Enjoy.....

 

The Mug cake

For the last two nights I have been staying round 'the boys' house, and learning a lot about their little random treats...... one of them being 'The mug cake'. A great little food-invention that takes all of about 5 minutes to make, has limited washing up, and is healthy, hearty and satisfying! I wouldn't say it was the average 'boy snack', but their new found love for Paleo food has inspired them to knock up some absolute crackers.

Why is it so good for you?

Ground Almonds- For those of you who a little more familiar with the Paleo Diet, you will know the wonders of ground almonds. The texture, taste and health benefits are all positive. In just one quarter cup of ground almonds, you will be getting 6g of protein, 3g fibre, 20% of your daily magnesium needs, and around 35% of your daily vitamin E intake. Magnesium is essential for muscle function, bone health and energy needs; vitamin E improves the health of your red blood cells and infamously helps improve the quality of your skin, nails and hair. Although relatively high in fat, it is all 'healthy fat' and will keep you fuller for longer, giving you sustained energy for the rest of the day.

Bananas- High in potassium, bananas are great for lower blood pressure, ensures calcium absorption, which consequently helps to keep your bones in tip-top shape! Bananas are great for settling the stomach and maintaining the stomach's health. They trigger the production of mucus in the stomach, lining it and creating a protective barrier against stomach acids. Bananas contain an enzyme that helps to break down any 'bad bacteria' in the tummy. It is said that if you eat 4-6 bananas a week, your chances of developing cancer in the kidney decreases by an astonishing 50%!! Gobble up guys.....

Eggs- A high source of protein, eggs too will keep you fuller for longer, contain all of the 9 essential amino acids (essentially the building blocks in your body), and equip you with vitamin D (essential for the absorption of calcium and the health fo your bones, hair, skin and nails), as well as many of the B vitamins, again keeping your energy levels high and your metabolism pumping!

Ingredients:

Ripe banana

1 large egg

1 tbs linseeds

1 tbs Cacao nibs/ or chocolate chips

1/4 cup ground almonds

squeezy honey

The photos I have taken were just off of my phone so not the best quality but hopefully they are ok!!

Directions

In a mug, mash your banana up with your folk with as few lumps as possible. It goes without saying that the riper the banana the easier it will be to mash!

Crack your egg in and tip in your cacao nibs and linseeds. (sesame seeds will work just as well and by all means go for both if you have them lying around in your cupboard!) Whisk well.

Tip in your almond flour and whisk again. If you have a sweet tooth, you can put in some honey at this stage, but equally the sugar from the banana gives it a subtle sweetness!

This is roughly what your mixture should look like....

Put your mug cake in the microwave, and set it for about 2 minutes. Take it out and let it stand for around 1 minute, and then give it a final 1 minute blast. Let it stand again, the mixture will still be cooking as soon as you take it out! We microwaved it for a total of about 3 minutes but I recommend that you just keep checking it.  We used a 800W microwave so the cooking times may be a bit different also...... Ultimately you want it to look a little something like this.....

It rises a little!!

Tip it out onto a plate.....

........and squeeze over some honey. ENJOY!