Carrot Muffin Cakes—Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Jonathan turned 1 just over a week ago!  Say it isn’t so—how in the world is this possible?  Isn’t he still this tiny baby?  Yikes that went quickly.  Don’t worry, I’m savoring every moment, promise. 😉

^^^ O-N-E !

^^^ Is it just me or does look 15 here?

On Jonathan’s actual birthday we had a great family day picnicking and hiking at Discovery Park.  We went down to the water and I had fun snapping pics of the boys, who were not totally interested.  Jonathan’s numerous and unknown allergies make it tricky to go out to restaurants, and since he was the guest of honor we picnicked with J-friendly food.

For dinner made his favorites at home—tofu, rice and broccoli.Then we celebrated with Carrot Muffin Cakes!  I’ll call them muffin cakes because they are low in sugar, unrefined sugar at that, and are totally suitable for breakfast (you might also like my Zucchini Muffins).  They make a great baby’s first cake because they have fruits and veggies, healthy fats, and low sugar.  And they are delicious!

On the day of his birthday I frosted them with a really simple cream cheese frosting to keep with the classic Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese pairing.  Then one week later for his birthday party I frosted them with some coconut whipped cream to keep things wholesome and “not scary” for my non vegan friends!  Both recipes are at the bottom of this post.

Speaking of parties, we kept Jonathan’s birthday party SO simple.  We went 1 block up the street to our favorite neighborhood park where we met several of our family friends—basically friends of David.  We served cupcakes and applesauce pouches, the kids played, and the parents got to chat.  It couldn’t have been better, or easier!

^^^ Cake so delicious the big boys were caught hiding under the table sneaking extras!

^^^ My sister in law sent us this plate, and I wish I could take credit for coordinating the plates, but I didn’t even think about it until after I purchased them! So cute!

In the recipe below I’ve given a couple of options.  David was dead set on making a cake for his brother with pineapple, so I obliged.  But I also made a batch of these with applesauce, so if that’s more readily available to you, go for it.  I kept the seasoning simple in these since they were made for a 1 year old, using just cinnamon.  For a more exciting flavor profile, feel free to use the spices from my Sweet Potato Breakfast Cake recipe.

I also used the new and exciting Aquafaba in these.  It’s essentially the “juice” from a can of beans.  It adds moisture and acts as an egg binder as well.  It is by no means necessary—these babies get a boost from baking powder, baking soda, the pine/apple sauce, and apple cider vinegar, so they’re fine on their own, but it’s fun to try out the new discovery!  I plan to post a recipe later this week for brownies that relies entirely on Aquafaba for it’s egg replacement—make sure you’re subscribed so that you don’t miss it!  It is so yummy!

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for Jonathan’s Carrot Muffin Cakes.  If you make these, please take a pic and tag #frieddandelions on the social media of your choice!

Carrot Muffin Cakes, makes 18 standard cupcakes, or 4 dozen mini
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c oats, ground into a coarse flour (see notes below)
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
½ t cinnamon
1 c pineapple, (I used a standard can of chunks), or 1 c of applesauce
½ c maple syrup
¾ c non dairy milk
2 t apple cider vinegar
½ c coconut oil (or vegetable oil, I also like avocado oil)
3 T liquid from a can of white beans (optional for extra binding, but not completely necessary, see notes above)
1 t vanilla
1 t orange extract
2 t apple cider vinegar
2 c carrots, grated

Preheat oven to 375.  Arrange silicone or paper liners in a muffin pan.

For maximum efficiency, I use my food processor to grind the oats, puree the pineapple and grate the carrots.  Start first by fitting your food processor with an S blade and grinding the oats until the are a coarse flour.  Set aside in a large bowl.  Then add a can of drained pineapple chunks and puree until they are the consistency of apple sauce (obviously skip this step if you are using applesauce).  Then open the food processor, set the pineapple aside in a separate bowl.  Finally, fit your food processor with the grating attachment and grate your carrots.  Set aside until the end.

In that same large bowl with the oats, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk together.  In a separate microwave safe bowl (I used a large pyrex glass measuring cup), combine maple syrup, non dairy milk, and coconut oil.  Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until coconut oil is melted.  You must warm them together—if you melt the oil and add it to the cold milk it will harden again right away, making it impossible to mix well!  In a separate bowl whisk the bean liquid until it is slightly bubble. Add vanilla, orange extract, pineapple (or applesauce), and apple cider vinegar and whisk, and then add to the warm liquid ingredients.  Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients.  Whisk together—this will make a very thick batter.  Fold in carrots.

Fill the prepared muffin tray with the batter.  Bake for 25 minutes (20 minutes for minis), or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry with a few crumbs attached.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce tub of vegan cream cheese (I like Daiya and Tofutti)
1/4 c maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

In a mixer, blend cream cheese til soft and creamy.  Add 2 T of maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Taste and add maple syrup till desired sweetness.  Frost cool cupcakes and serve!

Easy Whipped Coconut Cream Frosting
1 can of coconut cream (I like Trader Joe’s in the brown can), refrigerated overnight, or for a few hours
2 T maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

In a mixer, whip coconut cream until thick and forming soft peaks.  Add 2 T of maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Taste and add maple syrup till desired sweetness.  Refrigerate until the day you are serving.  It does hold up overnight in the fridge, but is best if you just frost on the day of.  Frost cool cupcakes and serve!

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