You Can Have Your Cake and Eat Your Veggies Too

One of the easiest roads to take when you’re going on a test drive down the plant-based highway is to start with a conventional recipe and simply replace any ingredients that won’t get you where you want to go.

To illustrate my last remark, this month’s recipe is a totally delicious and even somewhat healthy Zucchini Carrot Cake. The main plant-based swap out is replacing the regular eggs with Just Egg, a mung bean-based egg replacer that you can find at most supermarkets. As an alternative, another egg substitute you can use is a combination of ground flax seeds with water.

Green zucchini and orange carrots add specks of vibrant color, loads of nutrition, texture and some slightly savory flavor to the cake batter. Adding the two veggies is an easy way to get in a couple of servings of veggies for the day. Also in this recipe is fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, providing an immunity boost and an extra burst of zesty spiciness.

For those of you who love carrot cake, you’re going to love this zucchini carrot cake even more. And the creamy cheesy frosting is the icing on the cake!

Zucchini Carrot Cake with Creamy Cheesy Icing

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
7 oz. Just Egg or flax egg equivalent
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh turmeric, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cups shredded or grated zucchini, well drained of liquid
2 cups shredded or grated carrots, well drained of liquid
3/4 cup dried Rainier cherries, diced

Icing:
1 stick (4 oz.) plant-based butter
1 container (8 oz.) plant-based cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnish:
1 ½ cups Coconut Ginger or Cinnamon Spice Clean Snax®, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13” baking pan. Set aside. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the oil, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla extract. Using a hand-held mixer, beat until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine until well blended.

Add in the fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, zucchini, carrots and dried cherries until well combined.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes, rotating the pan half way through the baking process. Test by inserting a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean the cake is done. Remove from the oven and cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until the mixture is nice and light. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and continue mixing until everything is light and creamy.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Garnish with the crumbled Clean Snax®. Cut into squares and serve.