Carrot Cake for Breakfast

I adopted this recipe from one of my favorite foodies, LILSIPPER–I love Bethany's innovation on maximizing single-ingredient foods. For example, taking a whole baked Japanese sweet potato (no other ingredients) and whipping it in a blender to create buttercream that's vegan, gluten-free, paleo, nut-free, sugar-free, rich and creamy goodness. Bethany calls for coconut butter in her potato frosting which I omitted for my oil-free version and it works just as fine.

This carrot cake is deceivingly decadent, plush in nutrients and will bring your mouth to The Big Mmmm. Now available to order for limited time in Select Austin, TX. 

Carrot Cake for Breakfast
Recipe adapted by Sarah Farsh April 5, 2020 from Bethany's Lilsipper Quinoa Carrot Cake

Cake

• 2 cups cooked quinoa 
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit (about 2 grapefruits, juiced)
• 1 cup freshly grated carrots
• 1/4 cup oat flour (blended oats)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp flaxmeal + 8 Tbsp water (let sit for 5min to gel into "vegan egg")
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (to perfume cake)
• pinch pink salt
• pinch vanilla bean powder
• 1/4 cup raisins (or chopped dates!)
• splash water if needed to help mix batter (it should be thick and crumbly, so don't over water)

Sweet Potato Frosting

• 3 baked then peeled Japanese sweet potatoes (they're purple outside, white inside)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (optional, works fine without)
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• pinch pink salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine all Cake ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well, batter should be thick and crumbly–almost like a jumble cookie batter. Scoop and spread batter into a oven safe vessle–glass or non stick is fine (you can even poor them into muffin tins for cupcakes!). Bake cake for 40-45min and let cool for 2hrs or overnight in fridge before frosting. Meanwhile, blend Sweet Potato Frosting ingredients together in VitaMix or high powered blender–you may need plunger to whip into blade. Scoop out potato cream with spatula onto cooled cake, trick to spread is always ice over icing (short strokes pushing icing out with a flat knife rather than long strokes that will crumble the cake). Top with coconut flakes, slice and enjoy for breakfast, brunch or dessert!