Call me beet obsessed. But even if you’re 1/10th as obsessed as me, your obsession will grow with this cake. Guaranteed. Now I bet you’re wondering, why the heck did I think to add beets, to cake? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I was thinking, if applesauce can make a healthier cake, why not beets? The swaperoo was born. And it did. not. disappoint. Velvety, chocolatey and ooh I hate this word but I gotta use it: moist.

Now if you have beet intimidation, I’m going to share my easy peasy way to roast beets. It’s hands off. And not even messy. Plus, save those greens! Food waste is no bueno – and there’s no reason to waste those greens.

Roasting Beets, the Lazy Lady Way
Step 1: Pre-heat that oven to 450 degrees. Slice off the stems of the beets and give ’em a good washdown. Then, wrap each one loosely in foil and place on a baking sheet.
Step 2: Roast the beets in the oven for 1 hr 30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Once the beets are cool, slice off the bottom root of each beet. Then, use your fingers to peel off the skin (it should slide right off). Slice and enjoy!

Save Those Greens!
Now let’s talk about those greens. Don’t let those gorgeous stems go to waste. My favorite way to use up greens is to chop them into 1-inch pieces (stems included) and sautee in a pan with a little olive oil and garlic. Once bright green, add some vegetable broth (enough to cover the base of the pan) and simmer for a few more minutes until tender.

Now that you’re a master at roasting beets and greens, let’s get to baking!

Un-Beet-Able Chocolate Cake
Makes: 12 cupcakes or 1 loaf
Ingredients:
3 medium cooked and peeled beets (about 1 lb)
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I recommend Hu Kitchen Gems)
2/3 C honey
1/3 C cacao powder
1/3 C almond flour
1 T arrowroot flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs (I always use Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs*)
Neutral oil spray for the pan

Directions:
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350° F. Brush the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil. Alternatively, line an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly brush the base and sides with vegetable oil.
Step 2: Combine the warm beets and chocolate in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to warm.
Step 3: Whisk the honey, cacao, almond flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into the cooled beet mixture, then whisk in the eggs till smooth.
Step 4: Pour the batter into muffin tin or 9-inch square pan and bake until a crust forms around the edges and the entire top is dry, but the interior is still moist – about 45 minutes. The cake will puff in the oven but settle as it cools.
Step 5: Allow the cake(s) to cool completely before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, topped with coconut cream and red jam!

And that’s how you turn a basic chocolate cake into a magical mystery cake with the benefit of beets. If you make it, test this with family to see if they can taste the beets! I triple dog dare you.

Happy Halloween, friends!

The post Chocolate Cake That Can’t Be Beet! appeared first on The Shooks Life.

October in sight means everything orange black and white – including this carrot cake cashew cream cheese for a little Halloween tease. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays for the ridiculous amounts of candy, even more ridiculous costumes and scary movie marathons galore. And one thing that’s particularly scary – how a little hocus pocus can turn cashews into a creamy base that’s oh so much better for you than the tubs in the store. It’s also a sly way to sneak in some carrots and can be slathered on your morning bagel or used as a healthy-ish frosting for Halloween treats. Read on to get the dEATs for how magically easy it is to create this crafty concoction. 

Come October 1, I’m officially ready to start the Halloween planning! We never got many trick-or-treaters in our old Chicago neighborhood, so I have high hopes for our new hood in Austin! It’s a teensy bit harder to get in the mood when it’s still 90 degrees outside, but I’m certainly not complaining. In fact, I most definitely will be gloating come January when it’s still 60 degrees. Sorry, mom. It’s gonna be sunny and I’m not gonna try to hide it. But, I do love a recipe that hides some veggies! Not only do I sneak carrots into this carrot cake cream cheese spread, but I also include shredded carrots in the base of these pumpkin muffins to feel a wee bit better about my ghoulish indulgences.

The beauty of this carrot cake cream “cheese” spread is that it can be ready in minutes as long as you soak the raw cashews in advance (i.e. ideally overnight). All that you need is a good food processor to whip it into a creamy spread and a cheese grater for the carrots. And the base of this “cream cheese” can be customized if you want to try some other mix-ins like blueberries for a fresh summery treat, or cacao for something a bit more rich and chocolatey. But why would you do that when carrots and raisins are oh so good and the colors are oh so fall? Because the carrot cake cream “cheese” is only sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, I feel good enough about slathering it on my morning English muffin like the ones from Mikey’s, which are gluten free and only made with a few simple ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour and eggs.

If you’re looking for something more indulgent, I also like oto use the carrot cake cream “cheese” as an icing on muffins and cupcakes. For the carrot cake muffins, I take a shortcut by using a pumpkin baking mix and add in shredded carrots as well as raisins. My favorite baking mix is the Simple Mills Pumpkin baking mix, which is also gluten free, paleo-friendly and made with simple ingredients like almond flour and sweetened with coconut flour, which is lower calorie and won’t make your blood sugar spike as much as refined sugars like cane sugar.

No matter how you spread it, I know you’re going to love this carrot cake cream “cheese” as much as me! Find the recipe below for both the carrot cake cream “cheese” and carrot cake muffins.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Carrot Cake “Cream Cheese”
Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
Carrot Cake “Cream Cheese”
– ½ C cashews (soaked in water overnight)
– ½ C coconut milk, from a can placed in the fridge overnight
– ½ C desiccated coconut
– 2 T maple syrup
– ½ tsp vanilla extract
– 1/4 C shredded carrots
– 3 T raisins
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Carrot Cake Muffins
– 1 box of Simple Mills Pumpkin Almond Flour Baking Mix
– 1/2 C shredded carrots
– 1/2 C raisins

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Follow the box instructions, stirring the shredded carrots and raisins into the batter. Pour into a muffin tin or individual silicone baking cups. Bake for
Step 2: Prepare the carrot cake “cream cheese” by adding the soaked cashews (drained of water) to the food processor. Pulse until it forms a creamy paste. Take the can of coconut milk from the fridge and scoop off the cream, adding it to the food processor (the cream and water should have separated overnight). Discard or reserve the coconut water for another recipe (such as a smoothie). While the processor is still running, add the maple syrup, desiccated coconut and vanilla extra. Continue to pulse until a creamy base forms. Place in a small mixing bowl and stir in the shredded carrots as well as the raisins.
Step 3: Once the muffins are cooled, spoon on the “cream cheese” or pipe onto the muffins by placing the “cream cheese” in a plastic zip lock bag, cutting a hole in one corner. Press the plastic bag to squeeze and pipe the “cream cheese” onto the muffins. Enjoy immediately, or place in the fridge. Note the “cream cheese” will melt in warmer temperatures.

And if you have other ideas for healthyish Halloween treats, share in the comments!

The post Healthyish Carrot Cake Cream Cheese appeared first on The Shooks Life.