Carrot and pumpkin chocolate cake

The addition of pumpkin and carrot make for a moist, naturally-sweetened and healthier al-ternative

 

Makes 8 SERVINGS

Equipment needed: cake pan, sieve, oven, mixing bowl, whisk, oven, chopping board, knife

Total Time: 1hours and 30minutes

 

Ingredients: 

  • 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
  • 75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
  • 160g (1 cup, lightly packed) brown sugar
  • 50g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 125g plant based butter, melted, cooled
  • 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 3 flaxseed eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150g (1 cup) finely grated butternut pumpkin, seeds reserved
  • 150g (1 cup) finely grated carrot, peel reserved

Praline

  • 2-3 tbs reserved pumpkin seeds
  • 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
  • Reserved carrot peel

Chocolate icing

  • 125g plant based butter, chopped, at room temperature
  • 230g (11/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
  • 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
  • 2 tbs plant based milk

 

Method: 

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan forced. Grease a 20cm round cake pan. Line the base with baking paper.
  2. Sift the flours, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarb into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter, oil, flax eggs and vanilla together. Add to the well. Use a silicone spatula to fold together until just combined. Add the grated pumpkin and carrot. Fold until evenly combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake is firm to a gentle touch. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. While the cake cools, make the topping. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C. Wash the pumpkin seeds to remove the pulp and fibre. Dry thoroughly. Line a baking tray with foil.
  5. Spray lightly with oil, then arrange over the tray. Spray seeds lightly with oil. Bake, toss-ing halfway through, for 10-12 minutes or until dry and lightly golden. Set aside on the tray to cool. Push seeds close together.
  6. Combine the sugar and 60ml (¼ cup) water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat un-til sugar has dissolved. Add carrot peel. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrot peel is translucent. Remove from heat. Use tongs to transfer the carrot to a wire rack to cool. Return syrup to the heat and cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until golden. Pour over the pumpkin seeds. Set aside until set.
  7. To make the icing, use electric beaters to beat the butter in a bowl until pale and creamy. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a separate bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the ic-ing sugar mixture at a time to the butter, beating constantly, until all the icing sugar mix-ture has been incorporated. Beat in the milk until smooth.
  8. Use a large serrated knife to cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the base on a serving plate. Spread one-third of the icing over the base to cover. Replace the top of the cake and spread with the remaining icing. Coarsely chop the seed praline. Just before serving, top with the candied carrot and sprinkle with the praline.