Tis the season for spicy smells to waft from the kitchen. This Christmas Gingerbread Cake recipe is our veggie-full version of traditional English gingerbread. Serve it as dessert served with whipped cream, or sneak it into December lunches as a sweet treat.
½ cup ground flax
1 cup (250 mL) shredded carrots
½ cup (125 mL) shredded beets
½ cup (125 mL) molasses
2/3 cup (165 mL) coconut sugar
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
1 ½ heaping tablespoons ginger
1 cup (250 mL) all purpose or whole wheat flour, according to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil
3 eggs
If you’re feeling the need for some spicy seasonal baking, this gingerbread has a down home appeal. The shredded beets and carrots make the cake moist and add depth to the flavor. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the olive oil, molasses, and eggs, whisking all of the ingredients together gently. The dough will still be quite sticky. Grate your carrot and beets and add them into the mix slowly. Oil a small cake pan and cover the bottom with no more than 5 centimetres of dough, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Hint: If you or your children don’t like the texture of grated vegetables, steam your vegetables lightly and puree them before adding them to your recipe. They’ll still add the same lovely flavor, and they’ll be just about invisible in your cake.