Morning Glory Bundt Cake with Yogurt & Granola Topping ~ #BundtBakers

"I love breakfast, and I don't see any reason it has to be cereal and eggs and toast." Ruth Reichl.  I totally agree and this Morning Glory Bundt with Yogurt Granola Topping would be the perfect something else.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

It is time for the first cookies of 2017 from #CreativeCookieExchange.  Our theme this month is Healthy Cookies for the New Year!  Yes indeed, so can bake cookies that are healthy.  Come take a look how.

Fruit and Veggie Quick Bread ~ #TwelveLoaves

The theme for #TwelveLoaves this month is Summer Fun!  I don't know about you but I am definitely ready for some summer fun and can't wait for the long weekend - although honestly my idea of fun may involve catching up on sleep.

Zucchini-Carrot-Pecan Bread

Every Friday I try to bake something for my husband to take with him the following day.  Early Saturday mornings you will find him out with his training team - a group of dedicated triathletes who find it fun to ride their bikes anywhere from 60-105 miles and then run between 5 and 9 miles (they swim on Friday mornings).  I bake because after all of this hard work they all deserve a treat.

In an effort not to sabotage their training I have been trying to incorporate some healthy elements into my baking - use less sugar, use lot fruits and/or vegetables, cut back on oil.  It is still a work in progress because I have always used lots of butter, cream, sugar, and eggs without even a second thought. One ingredient I haven't experimented with very much is flour.  That is until I was reading Kim's blog, Liv Life, a few days ago and she featured a recipe for chocolate chip cookies (made by her daughter) using spelt flour. 

Following Kim's lead on researching spelt flour I found that it is considered to have a somewhat nuttier and slightly sweeter flavor than whole-wheat flour.  Spelt is by nature a wholefood, and unlike wheat where much of the nutritional bran and germ are often removed during milling, the vital substances of spelt are found in the inner kernel of the grain. Spelt contains more protein, minerals, and amino acids than regular wheat and this superior nutrition makes it an ideal training and endurance food. Although spelt does contain gluten, studies have shown that it can be tolerated by many people who are normally gluten-intolerant.

I do make a lot of quick breads because not only are they tasty but they travel well, which is always handy when it is being thrown in a pick up truck.  Well, maybe "thrown" is not the best description but lets just say that a quick bread is a lot safer than a sponge cake.   With experience I have found that cookies, quick breads, and bar cookies/slices are the way to go when the goodies have to make a trip.

One quick bread recipe that caught my eye recently was a Zucchini-Carrot Bread that appeared on Monica's blog Lick The Bowl Good.  Actually the first thing that grabs my attention each time I visit her blog is that beautiful photo of a Meyer Lemon-Lime Bar in her banner (I can see why the post is entitled "The Best I've Ever Had").  She reached into her archives for this recipe, and it was adapted from a recipe found on Baking with Lisa, who adapted it from Sur la Table’s “Eating Local”.  I adapted it a little further by substituting some spelt flour for the all-purpose flour, adding the toasted pecans, decreasing the sugar and oil, and adding a sprinkle of raw sugar on top.  My last change was to bake one large loaf because my loaf tin is 10 inches x 5 inches.  I really wanted to use candied ginger as described in the recipe but I couldn't find it in my pantry.

Using a single pan will result in a beautiful, high-rising loaf which is just the way I like my quick bread.  I thought the flavor was great, although I may add a little apple sauce next time to add some moisture and compensate for the oil I omitted.  The spelt flour worked out great and I may even do a 50-50 split next time with the all-purpose flour.

Carrot-Zucchini-Pecan Bread

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Spelt flour
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• ½ cup minced candied ginger (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup canola oil
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup coarsely grated carrots
• 1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Grease two 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans, or line them with foil or parchment paper (I used one pan that was 10x5 inches).
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda. 
4. Whisk in the salt and candied ginger, optional.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. 
6. Add the canola oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking hard until well combined. 
7. Stir in the carrots and zucchini.
8. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir/fold until just blended.
9. Divide evenly between the loaf pans (or add to a single pan like I did).
10. Sprinkle with raw sugar, if desired.
11. Bake for about 1 hour, until the loaves are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine baked for approximately 75 minutes).
12. Cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe by Lick the Bowl Good and Baking with Lisa.

Inside Out Carrot Cake©

They say that necessity is the mother of invention.  It certainly was in this case.  I love carrot cake and wanted to make one for my husband to take and share with his training group.  However, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is messy and I didn't want him to have to worry about squishing the cake.  So I thought about it and realized that I needed to put the icing on the inside.  Once this was decided I came up with my very own recipe - Inside Out Carrot Cake.

Since I had such wonderful results with my Oatmeal Blueberry Raisin Cookies from Flour, I decided to base my recipe on the carrot cake in this cookbook.  I wanted to make two loaf cakes so I doubled the recipe, making changes here and there.

The standard cream cheese frosting for a carrot cake calls for powdered sugar, butter, and cream cheese but I did not think that this would stand up very well to baking.  I decided that I would whip up a small amount of cheesecake batter and use this as the middle layer in my carrot cake.  It worked perfectly.

The cake needs to cool in the pan before you remove it.  I sliced one loaf when it was still a little warm because I wanted to take photos and get I had to get it ready for my husband to take to training, and it was a little difficult because it was just too soft.  I would recommend making it the day before you need it.  I just cut another piece, strictly for research purposes of course, and it is much easier to cut and the flavor is even better today.




 The end result was a cake that combines the best of both worlds - carrot cake and cheesecake.  I think I even surprised myself as to how well it turned out.  I usually follow a recipe, making a few small changes here and there.  I have never really come up with a concept before and have it come to fruition.

Inside Out Carrot Cake©

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

Cheesecake Layer:

• 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 4 cups tightly packed shredded carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preparation

Cheesecake Layer:

1. Place cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest in a medium bowl and mix until well blended.
2. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cake:

1. Position rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350°F.
2. Prepare two loaf pan with butter and flour, or line with parchment.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment beat together eggs and brown sugar on medium-high speed for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is light and thick.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla.
5. On low speed slowly pour the oil mixture into the egg-sugar mixture.
6. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all spices.  
7. Using a spatula fold flour mixture into the egg mixture, stopping just before it is completely incorporated.  
8. Add carrots, raisins, and pecans and continue to fold until everything is mixed in well.
9. Pour 1 carrot cake batter layer into each of the two loaf pans (approximately 2 cups per pan).
10. Top with a layer of the cheesecake mixture in each pan, using a spatula to gently smooth it out in the pan.
11. Finish with another layer of the carrot cake batter (approximately another two cups per pan).
12. Bake cakes for approximately 1 hour.  
13. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs©