Carrot Spice Cake – Wholegrain and Vegan

There are bird nests in our bushes and hedges. A red vent bulbul with an insect in her bill stealthily enters Phycus thicket and we can hear the chirrup of the fledglings. A dove first perches on the stump and inspects around. When she feels it is safe, she dives and disappears into the garden creeper where she has made a cup-shaped nest. She does not come out for a long time. Perhaps she is sitting on her eggs.

A purple sunbird couple has been making their nest in one of the hooks in our door for the last four years. Is it the same couple that comes here every year or is it one of their generations raised here?....we wonder. Leaving trees and bushes they raise their brood in the bald patch. Perhaps they feel safe with us. It is a relationship of faith, trust, and love. No language is spoken yet we understand each other so well. Our pet cat is well fed, in fact, overfed these days lest she eyes the baby birds that chirrup noisily.

A freak thunderstorm and mild showers brought the temperature down. I baked a wholegrain vegan carrot spice cake. We enjoyed with steaming ginger tea.

This is our favourite recipe because it is guilt free and healthy. The aroma of spices and crunch of walnuts in every bite is pleasing. The cake tastes best when had the next day.

I also bake this cake with chopped apples and love the soft apples in every bite.

Carrot Spice Cake – (Whole grain and Vegan)

Recipe source – www.kingarthurflour.com

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 ¼ cup brown sugar/muscovado sugar/grated jaggery/white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 cup grated carrots or chopped apples  
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees C
2. Grease and line one 8 inch round cake pan.
3. Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add tomato juice, oil and vanilla extract. Stir. Add grated carrots and stir till the ingredients are well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven. Remove from the pan after 10 minutes.
7. Cool and wrap in a cling film. Slice and serve next day.