Rainbow Carrot Cake

Serves 8

Looking for the perfect rainy day Sunday baking recipe? Then rejoice! For the lovely people at Sweetpea Pantry sent me a box of their new Carrot Cake Muffins to try, and since they make my absolute favourite healthy baking mixes, I was very excited to try their new one. And boy did it not disappoint! Not only is it quick and easy to make (for both big and little hands!) with only 5 mins prep time and 20 mins in the oven, it is delicious too! It makes it a great after school activity on a rainy day that produces a truly yummy high-protein, high-fibre, refined sugar free treat that also happens to look divine! Now that’s a win, win, win in my eyes! 

Although entirely optional, I would encourage anyone who doesn’t have any, to invest in some superfood powders as a natural and healthy way to colour your food. Especially if you have kids, the delight of seeing them tuck into a bright blue pancake is doubly wonderful when you know you’ve sneaked them some iron-rich spirulina without them even realising! Superfood powders contain a whole bunch of micro-nutrients and antioxidants, and can be added to anything from smoothies to cakes to waffles to energy balls. 

I couldn’t resist adding an extra carrot to their mix (because really, why not?!) and some Omega-3 rich walnuts too. One serving provides 293 calories, 6g of protein and 4g of fibre. It also provides over a quarter of my daily Vitamin A requirement which isn’t bad going considering it’s in the form of a delicious sweet treat. 

As much as presenting it like this is a great showstopper for special occasions, when it’s just me and my kids baking, we tend to make them into muffin form instead.  That way, they can be a freezer-friendly nutrient-dense breakfast too.  I only make the cream cheese frosting if my kids have been particularly delightful and told me how wonderful I am that day. They know that they can get me to do most things if they compliment me and although my 6 year old is a dab hand at such compliments, my 3 year old son is still working hard on his form “mamma, have I told you today that you have the best smelling...err.....*intently looking at my face to try to think of something* ... eyelashes!” he finishes proudly. Ah, well in that case sweet boy, go ahead, have some frosting!  

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

·      1 x Packet Sweetpea Pantry Carrot Cake Muffin Mix
·      2 x Eggs
·      80 mls Olive Oil
·      80 mls Boiling Water
·      3 tbsp Maple Syrup
·      45g Walnut Pieces
·      1 Carrot

For the Icing

·      180g Cream Cheese
·      30g Xylitol (or icing sugar)
·      Zest & Juice of 1 Orange
·      Optional natural colouring: 1 tsp Blue Spirulina Powder, 1 tsp Pink Pitaya Powder & 1 tsp Goji Berry Powder.

METHOD

·     Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
·     In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix with the boiling water, oil and syrup.
·     Whisk the eggs and stir into the mix.
·     Grate the carrot into the bowl and add the walnuts.
·     Stir to combine.
·     Either spoon into 1 big springform tin (if making one big cake) or 2-3 smaller springform tins (if making a layered cake like in the photo).
·     Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
·     While the cakes are in the oven, make the frosting.
·     Put the xylitol in a high speed blender and blitz until you form a sugary powder (like a healthier version of icing sugar).
·     In a medium bowl, zest and juice the orange.
·     Add the cream cheese and powdered xylitol and mix until fully combined. 
·     If using superfood powders to naturally colour, then separate the frosting into 3 bowls and add the colours accordingly.  I used Pitaya powder to make the pink, blue spirulina to make the blue and goji berry powder to make the pale orange colour.
·     Once the cakes have cooled completely, spread with the icing and enjoy! 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 293
Protein – 6g 
Fat –17g
Carb – 30g
Fibre – 4g
Vitamin A – 26%