I fell down the proverbial rabbit hole while sifting through the ‘carrot cake’ recipes saved over the past couple of years. Even after making so many carrot cakes last year, there were still a few more ideas to try out. The great thing is that you can start eating dessert for breakfast all weekend long by trying out some of these out! Today’s list: carrot cake apple bread by Averie Cooks (recipe+ a few modifications below because her site made my poor computer go hay-wire). Carrot cake scones by Amy’s Healthy Baking. Carrot cake breakfast cookies by A Mummy Too. Carrot cinnamon rolls by How Sweet It Is. Finally, Whole-Wheat Carrot Cake by Matters of the Belly.
So how do I feel about all of these? Here we go:
- Apple+Carrot Bread
- Scones
- Breakfast Cookies
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Whole-Wheat Cake: Intrigued by the purple carrots, this one made this list simply because a cake using whole-wheat flour seemed odd to me. On top of that I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the photography was… Stunning images of food win every time, don’t they? Here’s the big question, though: did this cake win?
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
3/4 cup grated carrots (about 1 large peeled and trimmed carrot)
3/4 cup grated apples (I used 1 medium unpeeled Fuji; try Gala, Honeycrisp or similar)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (I haven’t tried the recipe in an 8×4-inch pan and cannot comment on how long it will take to bake, but use an 8×4 pan if you prefer a taller loaf.)
- In a large bowl, add the the first eight ingredients, through nutmeg, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the carrots, apples, and fold gently to combine.
- Turn batter (it’s very thick, this is what you want) out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 45 to 52 minutes (I baked 50 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Tip – Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 35 minute-mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of carrots, apples, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes longer to bake than the baking estimates provided.
Hooked on Madelines 