My latest raw creation was inspired by a recent juice fast I suffered through. Sounds strange, I know, but it's a long story I'm sure no one cares to hear about (sorry you had to C&S)! So during the fast, I juiced a lot of carrots, consequently collecting piles of pulp! Since I don't compost, I decided to freeze the pulp until I figured out a good use for it. This is what I came up with :) And I must say, the cupcakes are pretty amazing! Come to THIS EVENT if you'd like to try one! Or follow the recipe below...but I will warn you--the process is quite elaborate--and don't even get me started on the clean-up!
Carrot Cake "Dough"
5 cups raw carrot pulp (from juicing device)
2 cups finely ground flax seeds or flax meal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
2 cups dates (pre-soaked/puréed)
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (non-alcohol)
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (carrot pulp included) and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and kneed well. "Dough" should be fairly malleable.
Use cupcake pan to fill parchment cups halfway with mixture, using finger tips for leveling.
Place filled cups on one dehydrator pan. Dehydrate cupcakes at 110 degrees F for 3 hours. Store cupcakes in refrigerator while you prepare frosting.
Cream "Cheese" Frosting
3 cups raw cashews (pre-soaked)
1 cup raw agave nectar
1 1/4 cups virgin coconut oil
Purée cashews and agave nectar in a food processor until you reach an even consistency. The mixture will be quite runny. In a large bowl, combine cashew/agave purée and coconut oil. Use hand mixer to whip into a frosting consistency. Place frosting in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before decorating cupcakes. I used a large tip to dress my cupcakes (a fun technique I learned in my days as a Spiral Diner cake decorator).
28 comments:
I just made carrot cake cupcakes last night :)
Katie-I love that we're on the same wavelength! You rock :)
Hi Eddie G, am trying to find a contact/email address for you
Creative recipe, but problematic. Just because it's raw doesn't make it healthy.
You've used 22 tablespoons of coconut oil that translates into 2,640 calories or, if you will, 308 grams of pure fat.
Drs. Ornish, Esselstyn, McDougall, and Barnard, all recommend a max of around 14 to 20 grams of fat per day.
Coconut oil is worse than "Follow Your Heart Cheese," which, admittdly, is essentially soy milk and oil. Extremely high in fat calories (more than fresh mozzarella equivalent).
This is one of the problems I have with raw foodists. Mean well, but they often add way to much oil to their recipes. Oil is NOT a food. It's a highly processed substance not found in nature.
I truly admire your creativity, but these kinds of high fat additions don't really do anyone any good.
FYI, Mark
http://www.soulveggie.com
Hi Mark!
Thanks for such a passionate reply to this post! You bring up some excellent points I'll try to address.
There's a reason I didn't mention the word "healthy" anywhere on this recipe--I am not a health professional, so I generally refrain from making such claims without thorough investigation. I certainly did not mean to imply that the cupcakes *are* healthy. I must, however, admit I failed to mention an important note about the recipe (seems I've failed to do so on several others as well...sorry). The recipe makes 32 cupcakes, and I still had quite a bit of frosting left over…maybe about a cup. So--you do the maths. (I love the word "maths", by the way--reminds me of my mother's impersonations of Hyacinth Bucket…or shall I say, *Bouquet*?)
I should also mention that I am *not* a raw foodist, nor do I claim to be the healthiest vegan around. I attend many raw food functions, yes, but you may have noticed from previous posts that I don’t always make the best food/drink choices for my body. My blog caters to all vegans—whether they’re raw foodists or vegans for ethical reasons, health reasons, environmental reasons, whatever…I believe people should make their own choices. I simply share *my* experiences.
And thank you for acknowledging the creativity of the recipe! I was so happy to be able to make use of that carrot pulp instead of trashing it. That would’ve been such a waste, don’t you think? That said, the process *was* elaborate and very time consuming—so chances of me and/or any of my readers eating this sort of thing on a regular basis are slim to none. I think (hope) you’ll agree with me that even the healthiest beings *cheat* sometimes, right? I made the cupcakes for a potluck…a celebration, if you will. Aren’t parties an excellent time to cheat? I think so! And I certainly will cheat when I celebrate my birthday soon--only that party’s going to entail lots of unhealthy snacks and adult libations in abundance…all vegan, of course :)
To quote Dr. McDougall: "Moderation kills." Esselstyn: "genetics loads the gun; lifestyle pulls the trigger."
Just one fatty meal severely affects the elasticity of your circulatory system's endothelium and inflames same. That's not theory, just a measured fact.
Even at 32 cupcakes, we're talking close to half the total fat the pros recommend per day max per cupcake... and that's from the researchers who've reversed (and in theory, prevented) heart disease.
Since added fat is the fuel for creating plaque that causes 90% of the strokes that are killing us, I think the recipe is unwise and risky. There must be better ways than adding all that "non-food" (oil).
But, I do appreciate your polite reply.
I lived in Dallas for over a decade (started out as a vegetarian there in 1980, which was hell), and wish I've been there since to experience the Spiral.
But, my note about your creativity was sincere. For what it's worth, I use carrot pulp in sauces, stews, loaves, etc., feeling it's a shame to waste something so healthy.
Best to you, Mark
Minor addendum:
If you add the fat grams from the cashews and walnuts, then each muffin is really a huge fat-delivery vehicle.
Neglected to take that into consideration in my initial "math."
The cashews: 86 grams of fat
The walnuts: 160 grams of fat
So, that brings us to a total of 554 grams of fat (see previous comment), or about 17 grams of fat per cupcake (yup, a full day's worth according to the vegan nutritional experts, and about a third of what the Feds recommend PER DAY).
IMHO, that can't be good.
These are beautiful, Sir. Good enough to eat, as it were.
I recently lemonade fasted -- Mo suffered through it. I know its not a juice feast, but, man -- it gets it done.
Thanks, Meg :) I'm sure you enjoyed your fast as much as I did :x
@ soulveggie-
To quote Dr. Frank N. Furter(sorta): "I didn't make 'em--FOR YOU!"
But you certainly are a wealth of knowledge. Kudos!
I am not a health expert either, but I know that having FUN with your food is key to it doing good stuff in your bod!
And just a note to soulveggie re: "Oil is NOT a food. It's a highly processed substance not found in nature." And "Since added fat is the fuel for creating plaque that causes 90% of the strokes that are killing us, I think the recipe is unwise and risky. There must be better ways than adding all that "non-food" (oil)."
Wow, maybe soulveggie has yet to experience coconut oil in it's pristine, cold-processed form. It's NOT vegetable oil. It's actually good for you, imagine that. soulveggie, have some fun ...play with your food!!
~ Maria
SO cute!! and they're healthy because they have carrots in them! ya!
Hmm...they may not be healthy, but guess what...they´re CUPCAKES! If it´s not good for the body, it´s good for the soul. I like to think of them as "huge fun-delivery vehicles," if you will. Life´s too short to not have some fun!!!
this sounds really good, and i believe everything is kosher for passover! i'm SO making these!
In closing (I hope)--
Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes are:
-TOTALLY RAW
-TOTALLY VEGAN
-A "creative recipe"
-"Good enough to eat"
-"So cute"
-"Huge fun-delivery vehicles"
-"Kosher for Passover"
-EVIDENTLY CONTROVERSIAL
There you have it, folks--Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes are *not* for everyone!
Wow, those look delicious! Can't believe they're raw!
I'm a bit in awe of your cupcake creation.
Coconut oil, "pristine?"
http://www.healthcastle.com/coconut-saturated-heart.shtml
Yeah, play with that...
FYI.
Welcome back, soulveggie!
I can't tell you how much you've inspired me! So much, in fact, I wrote about you.
Play with that :)
i'm looking for a good raw carrot cake recipe, and this looks great! your cupcakes are so pretty!
These are adorable. I work at Spiral (Fort Worth) and I know all about that big tip icing trick! Plus it makes decorating cupcakes super fast. I wish I had some carrot pulp on hand, but I may just try grating some carrots? We'll see!
Sweet, B&B :)
This comment is for Mark who insists the raw carrot cake cupcakes are going to give you a heart attack.
There are several types of fat in the world: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, omega 3-6-9 fatty acids which are part of particualar forms of fat and there are trans-fats which are from hydrogenated oils (hardened oils for restaurant fryers mostly and shortenings).
In an earlier comment you made, you said that fats were not natural or found in nature but I beg to differ with you, mostly. Most raw foodists consume extra virgin fats which are the purest form (most untampered) of fats available aside from eating the fruits they are a part of. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is fresh pressed using no heat (which causes free radical damage) and is typically the first pressing so that it is the most pure. Using a refined coconut oil would be more damaging to your health.
The fats that are typically referred to as causing heart diseases as well as contributing to diabetes issues are trans-fats caused by hydrogenation and also excess animal fat, particalarly from meat, not dairy. In fact, ghee is a clarified butter and a tablespoon of this wonderfully saturated fat is promoted in Indian culture for good health.
The fact of the matter is, whenever a person consumes a mostly vegan diet, avoiding many of the animal fats that contribute to heart disease and consuming more monounsaturated fats that you could practically eat and eat and eat and not gain a pound from, that person is the least likely person to suffer any form of heart related issues that weren't particularly a problem due to genetics. In fact, they might possibly be improving their heart health by helping arteries to repair themselves with those all too precious omega-3 fatty acids in those walnuts. Oh, and you forgot the fat in the flax seeds. Lots of omega-3's there too.
To give you a heads up, fish oil, flax oil and olive oil and some other cooking oils high in omega 3-6-9's are recommended for anyone who suffers from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and any other heart health issues.
There are also all kinds of information on the web about the coconut oil diet. Check it out. It is the highest in saturated fat and yet people are still losing weight from consuming it. Check it out Mark ;). You might find that sometimes you can splurge... with no guilt.
~Anna. (health foodist)
Wow...I know this post is from a few months ago, but those cupcakes look amazing.
And maybe I'm a fat-whore, but I don't think 17g of fat per cupcake is bad at all....its a freaking cupcake, raw, vegan, whatever, what would you expect?!?
I agree with Gina. I don't think 17g of fat for one cupcake is bad either! I mean, a whole avocado has more than that. Do you notice the date on that article about coconut oil is from 2006??
Does anyone have a link to carrot pulp nutritional information? I know it's going to be high in fiber, and there will be some variation depending on extraction methods, etc, but I'd love to have some idea of what I'm adding in terms of calories, fiber, etc.
Also, I would love more ideas for using it. Trying to invent a protein bar recipe for it.
Looks delicious!!
I was looking for a raw carrot cake recipe last night and this one looks totally fabulous! Can't wait to try it. :)
Also, regarding the "healthy or not" discussion... the way I always figure it is that a raw version is always more nutritious than one pumped full of processed foods and preservatives, which is what I USED to reach for.
And no one raw food can magically transform you into a healthy person - a balanced diet full of raw foods (including fat and oil), however, can do wonders.
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