Looking for a a guilt-free sweet? Try this cake made with ingredients like jowar and carrots, and other ingredients that are easily available in our kitchens. This is perfect for kids who don't like carrots, because the fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg provides the perfect cover. While carrot cakes are usually topped with heavy frostings, this recipe uses a frosting made with Greek yogurt or hung curd, reducing 67kcal per a piece of cake! We hope you enjoy both cooking and eating this healthy and delicious homemade carrot cake!
Ingredients:
2 carrots (200 gm), roughly grated
1/2 cup (70g) jaggery powder
3 tbsp coconut oil (or canola oil or ghee)
4 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup (90g) whole wheat flour
1/3 cup (40g) sorghum (jowar) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (130g) Greek yogurt (or hung curd), at room temperature
2 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Cinnamon powder (for sprinkling) (optional)
Serving: 6
Nutrition Value (per serving):
Energy: 277 kcal
Protein: 5 gm
Carbs: 32 gm
Fats: 15 gm
Fibre: 3 gm
Method:
Steps to make the cake batter:
In a large bowl add the flours, baking powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder. Mix together.
In a separate bowl, take oils and jaggery powder. Mix this mixture well.
Add grated carrot to the wet ingredients, and mix gently.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients three separate times, and mix each time until combined.
Apply a thin layer of oil to the inside of your cake pan, and transfer cake batter into the pan. Smoothen the surface with spoon or spatula.
Steps to bake the cake:
Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 5 minutes.
Now place the cake batter in the oven, and bake at 180 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes.
To check whether cake is baked properly, insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean. If it is not baked, then cover the cake top with foil paper and bake it for 5-10 minutes more.
Gently remove cake from cake pan and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
Steps to frost the cake:
In a bowl, take Greek yogurt (or hung curd), honey, and lemon juice. Whisk the mixture well.
Spread the frosting generously on the top of cake. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the top.
Your healthy delicious carrot cake is ready!
Know Your Ingredients:
Carrot
Carrots are a rich resource of various vitamins and minerals. Being rich in beta-carotene, carrots are an important source of vitamin A. Due to the presence of antioxidants, carrots are good for heart health and help fight harmful free radicals in the body, which may reduce the likelihood of getting cancer. They are also rich in potassium, and therefore help maintain blood pressure.
Whole wheat Flour
Compared to refined flour, whole wheat grain flour is not stripped of valuable nutrients and has many health benefits. It is fibrous and a complex carbohydrate that slowly converts to glucose in our body and keeps us full for a longer time. Fibre also helps lower cholesterol as well as move waste through the digestive tract. Whole wheat flour is also rich in vitamins B-1, B-3, and B-5, along with riboflavin and folate. It also has more iron, calcium, protein, and other nutrients than refined flour.
Sorghum (jowar) flour
Jowar is a millet that is gluten-free and rich in protein and various essential vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. It is loaded with good amounts of calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, and cell-building B vitamins. The rich quantity of potassium and phosphorous helps lower cholesterol and manage high blood pressure. Most importantly, the grain is incredibly rich in fiber and helps in controlling weight, and reduces chances of obesity and diabetes.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is rich in potassium, protein and calcium. Potassium is important for maintaining blood pressure. It also plays an important role in keeping the heartbeat regular and helping the muscles contract. Greek yogurt is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, which helps prevent anemia and keeps blood cells and nerves healthy. Greek yogurt also has additional health benefits like improving bone health, digestive health, heart health; and lowering the risk of diabetes.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a good source of vitamins E and K, and contains trace amounts of potassium. Vitamin E helps keep our cells healthy by protecting them from free radicals while also boosting immunity, and preventing blood from clotting within the blood vessels. Vitamin K plays a role in many functions, some of which include blood clotting, bone metabolism, and bone mineralization.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a 'good fat' with many health-promoting properties, such as controlling blood sugar, increasing good cholesterol and preventing anemia. MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) in coconut oil are rapidly digested and absorbed by the body, so they provide good-quality energy quickly. Coconut oil is also rich in vitamin E which, making it effective in preventing aging.
This recipe has been contributed by Chie Hirayama, Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator (Japan).
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