Spiced Carrot Magic Bean Cake (includes Thermomix method)

Ohhh these magic bean cakes - they're so addictive...

Whether or not you're eating gluten free (and dairy free and grain free), this is just the most moist and delicious carrot cake! If you do eat gluten free, and you've ever bought any kind of gluten free carrot cake... you'll *know* how absolutely awful they are. Dry. Gritty. Tasteless. And just generally really appallingly bleeeeeuuurgh! (Which reminds me, I still haven't taken back the pack of GF carrot cake slices we bought a couple of weeks ago out of curiousity, and could not eat because they really were that bad... hence the inspiration to make my own. It was actually the first time in my whole life I've genuinely found a cake that bad I've considered taking it back to a shop...)

         

Anyway, I digress. This is definitely not bad carrot cake (although it might be naughty), it is goooood carrot cake! I made it for my son's birthday and he loved it! Now, I'm no Mary Berry, and so occasionally I may resort to unconventional techniques to get my cakes just as I want them. And I'm always open to tips from those more experienced than I am. But let's face it - who *is* Mary Berry? (Apart from Mary Berry of course, who you can always rely on for amazing recipes and elegant twinsets). Most of us go through life trying our best to avoid soggy bottoms and cracked tops and even more unspeakable things, and winging it along the way - and in my opinion, any tips to end up with a good cake, are good tips!

So here's my recipe for spiced carrot cake, a la magic bean cake. You can leave the nuts off the topping, and out of the cake if you want to avoid them (or substitute for a mixture of pine nuts / sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped, for a nutty texture), and you can use an orange drizzle icing in a lacy pattern over the top if you want to avoid dairy (see options). Plus, instead of making a tray bake cake, you could make this as muffins or fairy cakes / cupcakes, using an appropriate tin lined with cake cases.

Makes 24 portions. 140 calories per portion of carrot cake, plus 37 calories for light cream cheese topping with walnuts (see below), or 46 calories if using full fat cream cheese and walnuts; or an extra 29 calories per portion for orange drizzle icing.

Ingredients
235g cooked canellini beans (or pretty much any cooked white beans), rinsed well and drained if from a can (you will need a 400 - 410g can) [259 calories]
180g grated carrots (3 medium, around 210g before trimming and peeling) [47]
120g  extra virgin coconut oil (or use butter, if you prefer and dairy is OK) [1,114]
170g light muscovado/soft brown sugar (or your preferred form of sweetener, in appropriate quantities, e.g. rapadura) [666]
5 eggs (UK medium, 58g each) [438]
Zest of 1 large orange, finely grated (or blitzed in TM - you can leave in the bowl when you add the oil and sugar) [3]
40 ml orange juice (about 1/2 an orange) [18]
1 x 15ml tbsp lemon juice [4]
1 tsp good vanilla extract [14]
2 tsp ground cinammon [10]
A good grating of nutmeg (or use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground to taste) [3]
1 tsp ground ginger (this gives it a spicy edge) [7]
50g coconut flour (I use Tiana, fair trade, organic - you can get it from health food shops, e.g. Holland and Barrett) [184]
1 teaspoon (gluten free) baking powder [3]
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt (a pinch)
100g sultanas [310]
40g chopped walnuts (you could substitute a mixture of seeds if you prefer, e.g. roughly chopped pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds) [286]

Optional

If you'd like to give your carrot cake a topping, you can top with 300g cream cheese mixed with 30g honey (or to taste), the finely grated zest of an orange and 1 tbsp lemon juice, beaten together with a fork (I don't advise using a food processor to beat, as it may end up as liquid!) and spread over the top of your cake, with 50g chopped walnuts sprinkled over it (or you could scatter with grated orange zest). This will work with 'light' cream cheese if you prefer [for the whole topping; 1,114 calories full fat cream cheese, or 884 calories with 'light' cream cheese, including nuts for sprinkling].

If you'd prefer to avoid nuts and dairy, mix 170g icing sugar with enough orange juice to make a thick 'drizzling' consistency - start with 1 1/2 tbsp and add more if necessary, then drizzle from side to side over the cake, turn a quarter and repeat to give a lacy criss-cross effect [694 calories for one quantity].

You will need

Something to whiz the beans up in, e.g. a food processor or blender, and a grater or food processor attachment with a blade/side to coarsely grate the carrots. A 9 inch square cake tin (or a rectangular one with the same area - mine is silicone) or a muffin tin and paper cases (see method).

Method

See below for Thermomix method (in italics)

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven, and line your cake tin with greaseproof baking paper leaving some hanging over the edges to help remove the cake - a little smear of oil (or butter) on the base of the tin will hold the paper in place, and if your paper doesn't go up two of the sides, grease them (or put paper cases into a muffin tin).

If your coconut oil is solid (probable unless it's a really hot day), very gently melt it until it's just melted but not hot (if it gets hot set aside to cool until only just warm) and mix the coconut oil and sugar together making sure there are no lumps of sugar - (if you're using butter, you just need it to be softened, and then cream it with the butter - it's easiest done with a hand mixer, or in an electric mixer or food processor - until pale and fluffy).

Lightly beat the eggs and add the orange zest and juice, lemon juice and vanilla extract; then gradually pour into the sugar mixture whilst beating (or add to the food processor and mix.

Next, you need to add the beans and dry spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger). If you're not using a food processor or similar to mix all of your ingredients, then you need to use it to blitz up your beans in one, as finely as possible, then add to the mixture and combine thoroughly with the spices. If you *are* using a food processor, then add your (rinsed and drained) beans into the mix together with the spices, and blitz it all together until as smooth as possible.

Sift in the coconut flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and stir in thoroughly with the grated carrots, mixing together until well combined, making sure any mixture from the sides is scraped in. Leave to stand for 5 minutes (the coconut flour is very absorbent).

Finally, stir in the sultanas and chopped nuts (or seeds if using).

Pour batter into the lined baking tin and gently level it (or dollop into paper cases in a muffin tin). Bake in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven for one hour until cooked through (less for muffins, 20-25 minutes) - this is the first bake, you can do the second bake once cool, or even the next day. Leave for a few minutes, then very carefully remove from the tin and put onto a wire rack to cool. Then once cool, invert onto another wire rack (make sure you remove the greaseproof paper now, if you hadn't already), heat the oven up again and bake upside down on the rack for a further half an hour at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven. Because of the moisture from the carrots and beans, and the fact this cake isn't made from conventional flour, you need to release some of the moisture to avoid having an overly moist cake and a soggy bottom. You can do the second bake the next day if you want to.

Allow the cake to cool in the upside-down position, then when it is fully cool, if you wish top it with cream cheese or icing, invert so it is the right way up again. If using the cream cheese topping, make sure the cake is cool, or the cream cheese may melt / slide off - also, with cream cheese, you will need to store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge. If not using cream cheese, you can just store the cake in an airtight container. If storing in the fridge allow to chill before cutting into bars 6 x 4 (or 5 x 5 squares if you prefer) to make it easier to cut, and make sure you don't serve chilled as it will kill the flavour and texture - bring the pieces up to room temperature, or cheat and give a quick blast in the microwave on low to take the chill off. Also rather tasty warm with ice cream or custard too, if you want to be a bit wrong!

Tips

If you liked this, why not have a go at the original chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake', the recipe is here. Or if you want something else to make with coconut flour, you could have a go at my Coconut and Lemon Magic Bean Cake, or Deliciously Dark Chocolate Jaffa Cakes, which are gluten, dairy, nut and grain free, recipe here. For another take on favourite old-fashioned flavours, there is also a Raspberry / Cherry Bakewell take on the magic bean cake here.

Thermomix method 

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven, and line your cake tin with greaseproof baking paper leaving some hanging over the edges to help remove the cake - a little smear of oil (or butter) on the base of the tin will hold the paper in place, and if your paper doesn't go up two of the sides, grease them (or put paper cases into a muffin tin).

If you want to 'grate' the 180g carrots in your Thermomix, feel free, but I haven't recommended it as my preference is to coarsely grate on a box grater - it only takes a minute or two and means your carrot is in even shreds and not too fine or chunky. If you're going to attempt it, I'd suggest putting the carrots in cut into large chunks and cutting them on Speed 4, for a couple of seconds at a time (no more than 4 seconds the first time, and only 1 or 2 seconds at a time after that), and scraping down in between, until they're a texture you're happy with, then set aside.
Add the 120g coconut oil and 170g sugar to the bowl, and melt oil and mix with sugar 2 minutes / 37C / Speed 1. Add the 5 eggs, orange zest (if it's not already in there) and 40ml orange juice, lemon juice and 1 tsp vanilla extract, and blitz Speed 4 / 15 seconds, then scrape down.

Add the dry spices (2 tsp cinnamon, good grating of nutmeg, 1 tsp ground ginger) and beans, mix Speed 7 / 20 seconds, then scrape down.

Add 180g grated carrots, 50g coconut flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt and mix Reverse Spoon / Speed 2.5 / 15 seconds, scrape down and under the blades if you have a flexible spatula, and then Reverse Spoon / Speed 2.5 / 10 seconds.

Leave the batter to rest for 5 minutes, as the coconut flour is very absorbent. Add the 100g sultanas and 40g chopped walnuts and mix Reverse Spoon / Speed 3 / 25 seconds.

Pour batter into the lined baking tin and gently level it (or dollop into paper cases in a muffin tin). Bake in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven for one hour until cooked through (less for muffins, 20-25 minutes) - this is the first bake, you can do the second bake once cool, or even the next day. Leave for a few minutes, then very carefully remove from the tin and put onto a wire rack to cool. Then once cool, invert onto another wire rack (make sure you remove the greaseproof paper now, if you hadn't already), heat the oven up again and bake upside down on the rack for a further half an hour at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven. Because of the moisture from the carrots and beans, and the fact this cake isn't made from conventional flour, you need to release some of the moisture to avoid having an overly moist cake and a soggy bottom. You can do the second bake the next day if you want to.

Allow the cake to cool in the upside-down position, then when it is fully cool, if you wish top it with cream cheese or icing, invert so it is the right way up again. If using the cream cheese topping, make sure the cake is cool, or the cream cheese may melt / slide off - also, with cream cheese, you will need to store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge. If not using cream cheese, you can just store the cake in an airtight container. If storing in the fridge allow to chill before cutting into bars 6 x 4 (or 5 x 5 squares if you prefer) to make it easier to cut, and make sure you don't serve chilled as it will kill the flavour and texture - bring the pieces up to room temperature, or cheat and give a quick blast in the microwave on low to take the chill off. Also rather tasty warm with ice cream or custard too, if you want to be a bit wrong!

Tips

If you liked this, why not have a go at the original chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake', the recipe is here. Or if you want something else to make with coconut flour, you could have a go at my Coconut and Lemon Magic Bean Cake, or Deliciously Dark Chocolate Jaffa Cakes, which are gluten, dairy, nut and grain free, recipe here. For another take on favourite old-fashioned flavours, there is also a Raspberry / Cherry Bakewell take on the magic bean cake here.