Katy’s Carrot Cake

This version is gluten-free, and dairy-free, and is made with common ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. 
Yields: 12 muffins (or 24 mini muffins)Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 35 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 organic carrots
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup coconut butter (softened)
• ¾ cup oat milk
• 6 pitted dates
• ¾ tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tbsp baking soda
• 1 serving of vanilla protein powder (2 scoops of Orgain)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Tools

• Food processor (or box grater), Large mixing bowl, Rubber spatula, Gallon ziploc bag, Cupcake Pan, 12 Cupcake liner

Cake Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel the carrots and cut the ends off. Process the carrots in the food processor using the disc attachment or grate the carrots on a box grater. After processing, empty the shredded carrots into a large mixing bowl.
3. Process the dates until they are small bits, then empty the dates into the mixing bowl.
4. Combine eggs, coconut butter, and oat milk with carrots and dates.
5. Add remaining dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, vanilla protein powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir until the batter is even in texture.
6. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
7. Transfer the batter to the zip lock bag, slice the corner off to make it a piping bag, and fill the liners with batter until it’s ¾ cull (leave enough room for the cake to rise). 
8. Bake for about 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the insides are fully cooked.

Icing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools

• Large mixing bowl, Whisk, Rubber spatula, Gallon Ziploc bag

Icing Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together and whisk until combined.
• Transfer the icing to the gallon-size ziplock bag, slice the corner off to make it a piping bag
• Once the cake has cooled, swirl the icing over the carrot cake

If you’re looking to speed this up, store-bought icing works just as well!
A fun way to color the icing: Option 1: If you would like to add a fun, whimsical touch, add beet juice to the icing before pouring it into the piping bag to create a pastel pink.Katy Hack: For a “tie-dye” effect, don’t fully combine the beet juice, gently stir it in but leave the streaks in. Option 2: To create a more elevated look and stay within the carrot color scheme, sprinkle turmeric over the white icing to make the color pop. Don’t worry, you don’t taste the turmeric!