Coconut-Pecan Carrot Cake with
Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting
Book Description
Both a cookbook and an introduction to the practice of American Zen Buddhism, Three Bowls is a distinctive collection of vegetarian recipes from Seppo Ed Farrey, the tenzo (chef) of the Dai Bosatsu Zendo, a traditional Zen Buddhist monastery in New York State. Each day, Farrey must create precisely timed meals for a hundred people using a limited range of ingredients; despite these demands, his dishes are substantial, never dull, and often inspired. "Three bowls" refers to the monastic way of ea...
I've tried many recipes for carrot cake over the years and have never been satisfied. When I had to bake a cake for a special occasion at the monastery, I created this reduced-fat version. To make the cake even more wholesome, I replaced the white flour with whole wheat flour, replaced the white sugar with maple syrup and honey, and added toasted wheat germ. The result is not only scrumptious but healthful.
Makes: one 9-X-13-inch cake
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup wheat germ, toasted
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 large egg whites plus 1 large egg, or 3 large eggs
Beat all the ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with spray, oil, or butter and set aside.
Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt thoroughly in a medium bowl.
Combine the applesauce, honey, and maple syrup with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and egg(s) and beat for 30 seconds, or until frothy. Add the vanilla and orange zest and beat for a few seconds more.
Stir the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture just until thoroughly blended. Fold in the carrots, pecans or walnuts, coconut, and currants, if using.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a rack before frosting. Serve.
NOTE: An equal amount of whole wheat flour or unbleached white flour may be substituted for the pastry flour.
Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting: This is the classic frosting for carrot cake. For a nondairy version, use one batch of Orange Nondairy Whipped Cream (page 220), but don't frost the cake until just before serving. If the frosting is too sweet, it hides the subtle undertones of the cake, so be careful not to add too much honey.
NOTES: Sprinkling toasted coconut and/or arranging toasted pecan halves on top of the frosting makes an impressive presentation. If you are serving a large crowd, make two cakes and layer frosting between them
