There’s just something about carrot cake, isn’t there? I can’t describe it, but I’m pretty sure my love for this classic recipe stems from the incredible flavours, like cinnamon and ginger, as well as my obsession with sneaky veggies added into baked goods! Either way, recently I was on an absolute kitchen mission, testing out new treats and meal prep ideas for you guys, and this coconut carrot cake creation was a happy outcome! As I’m well aware my personal tastes can be a little bit out there (courgette in oats, anyone else with me on this?!), I tested this recipe on my lovely willing family. I was delighted to hear them ask for seconds! So, time to share this tasty and light carrot cake goodness with you!

Recipe (Makes 1 loaf or batch of carrot cake squares)

Ingredients

For The Carrot Cake 

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50ml of melted cacao butter (my fave, I use Cocobrew!) or coconut oil
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 banana
• 3 tbsp of honey
• 50ml of milk of choice
• 50g of ground almonds
• 150g oats, blended into flour
• 2 medium sized carrots, washed, peeled and grated
• 4 tbsp dessicated coconut flakes
• 50g walnuts
• 50g sultanas
• 30g pumpkin seeds

For The Lemon Drizzle:

• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• A splash of water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan oven). Line a baking tin with greaseproof paper or greased tinfoil, and set aside.
2. Take a large mixing bowl and add the dry ingredients to it – oat flour, ground almonds, coconut, walnuts, seeds, baking powder and spices. Save some of the coconut, pecans and seeds to sprinkle on top!
3. Take a blender or food processor, and blend your wet ingredients except for the carrots – eggs, banana, oil/butter, vanilla extract, honey and milk.
4. Create a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet. Stir until you have a batter consistency for your cake.
5. Finally, add the grated carrot, and mix again until combined.
6. Pour the batter into your baking tin, sprinkle some extra walnut chunks and pumpkin seeds on top, and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Insert a tooth pick at 35 minutes, and if it comes out 90% clean you’re sorted! This is my baking rule always! If not, then give it another 5 minutes in the oven.
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
8. Finally, to make the lemon drizzle, heat the lemon juice and water in a small pot on the hob, add the coconut sugar, and keep the heat to medium, stirring until the coconut sugar is dissolved.
9. When the carrot cake is cooled, take a small spoon and drizzle the lemon syrup over the cake evenly. Sprinkle a few remaining coconut flakes on top. Leave the cake to stand for another 15 minutes, and then slice up and serve!

Enjoy guys! This one went down a total treat in my house, so I hope you and your family and friends love it just as much! Tag me if you try it out – @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook!

Ciara 🙂 x