Carrot cake, eggless and fatfree

Carrot Cake

Yesterday a colleague brought  back to office a wedge of excellent carrot cake with light-as-air frosting from a new French restaurant in  Delhi. As she said, she’d asked for a small one. There were many mouths watering, many hands waiting to grab a bit of that. All in all it left me craving for more.

As part of cholesterol control effort, I don’t stock eggs in my fridge on a regular basis. Often enough I make an eggless  and fat-free cake and tweak the basic recipe to go the way I’d like it to. And impatient—you may say lazy if you wish-- as I am most often I bake my cakes in the microwave often—not on the convection mode, but plain MW mode.

It was this way that this carrot cake was made, with  the usual walnuts and raisins, but also a bit of home made orange peel for that extra fruity flavor.

I skipped the frosting because I have a weight-loss goal I’m seriously trying to achieve for many, many years now.

Those who can’t do without it, please get the recipe from wherever… or just give it a glaze with  jam or fruit preserve or marmalade that is handy at home. But melt it a bit first.

The major ingredients

Here goes the recipe.

Flour(maida) -1/2 cut

Wholewheat flour (atta) -1/2 cup

Cooking soda-1/2 teaspoon

Baking powder-1/2 teaspoon

Brown sugar -1/2 cup

Plain white sugar-2 tablespoons

Cinnamon powder-1/2 teaspoon

Home made yoghurt (made of double-toned milk)-1 cup

Vanilla essence- a few drops

Vinegar-a few drops

Refined oil(any)—2 teaspoons

Grated carrots( Ooty variety, though the North Indian carrots available in winter will be even better)-1  and ½ cups

Walnuts—a few, crushed or crumbled

Raisins—a handful

Orange peel—of may be half an orange

Just put everything in one huge bowl,  whip them together with a wooden spoon till smooth. Pour into a greased dish, and bake anyway you are comfortable with.

I  usually bake for 11 minutes on 80% power, and leave it in the MW for half an hour before turning it onto a plate.

Just out of the oven

Cooled and sliced, with tea or coffee and   warm with some custard on top as dessert, this is one delicious cake.

Do try it out, and  give me a feedback. If you alter it, do share that info also with me.

Happy, healthy baking..and eating!

Photos by Pramod Pushkarna/Images India