Pages

Friday, August 01, 2014

Five fab vegetable cake recipes

The 2014 edition of Wellington On A Plate's Bake Club ('like a book club, but tastier') is underway and next week's challenge is to make a cake that includes vegetables as a star ingredient. I was shocked when one of my fellow bakers remarked she'd never heard of a vegetable cake before - if you're in the same boat, here are my own top five fab vegetable cake recipes. 

1. Chocolate Potato Cake: To be sure, this is not some kind of Irish joke, but a moist, dense cake slathered in a Baileys-laced cream cheese icing. It's addictive (and it doesn't use much Baileys so there's plenty for the cook to knock back afterwards).


2. Kumara and Cardamom Cake: For something a little more refined and subtle, with complex flavours and a great texture, this cake can't be beat. It's also gluten-free (but don't let that put you off if you're a gluten fan).


3. Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake: Does cheesecake count? I think so - and this one will convert the most reluctant pumpkin eater. My idea of a good night in is one of these cheesecakes, a sofa and a spoon.
 

4. The Ultimate Carrot Cake: I know carrot cake is a bit ubiquitous, but this is one of my all-time favourites, with lots of carrot, fruit and nuts in a dense, spicy batter.


    5. The Best-Ever Beetroot Cake: This is another winner, not least because the beetroot turns it pink. I'm not normally a fan of pink food, but somehow it works with cake. Anyway, this scores highly on the unusual-ness score (I'm sure that's one of the judging criteria).


Do you have a favourite vegetable-based cake? Let me know in the comments below - now that I've shared my favourite recipes I'm going to have to dig out something pretty special to win!

Have a great weekend everyone x

17 comments:

  1. i've been hankering after a good carrot cake recipe and that ones looks deliciously moist. i'll have to give it a try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carrot cake is my all-time favourite - so you can be sure that this one is a good 'un!

      Delete
  2. ooh I love vegies in cake - yours all look fab - I have an avocado pound cake on my blog but wonder if that is technically fruit. I quite fancy two recipes I have never tried - parsnip cake and tomato soup cake (there is a recipe for sylvia' plath's tomato soup cake online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't imagine Sylvia Plath as much of a baker... but I have heard of that recipe before and am sort of morbidly fascinated by it (appropriate, given the SP link!). I can definitely recommend parsnip cakes, the parsnip caramelises and tastes very unlike what you would think. I'll check out your avocado cake too...

      Delete
  3. Potato cake! Wow, that's one I never would have dreamed up. But when I think about it I'm sure that I once made a strudel recipe that had mashed potato in the pastry. The icing sounds amazing. What a great alternative cake for anyone on a gluten free diet. These all look so good. They will make great autumn baking. I can't share anything more adventurous than these they do all sound like winners. If I think of anythink I'll let you know. Good luck with the competition.
    debx
    ps I can't believe this but I also have a plate like the last one in your image above. Seems that we have vintage plate duplication going on...
    have a cool weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly, that plate is no more - I'd forgotten all about it until I pulled this photo out of my archives. Still, it had had a long and happy life before it came to me.

      Delete
  4. Veges rule in baking as far as I am concerned. But that may be something to do with the fact I have just made kumara bread :o) Happy WOAP baking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am also always shocked when I learn people have never had a vegetable cake, even a Carrot Cake. I love vegetables and cakes and have been making them a while, to use up homegrown veg mostly. My favourite is perhaps Parsnip and Beetroot Variations, but I recently made a Spinach Cake bookmarked from a book actually called Vegetarian Desserts: Beyond Carrot Cake and Pumpkin Pie by Elizabeth Schafter see this link about the book, not the recipe http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/06/soft-centred-celery-cookies.html
    Good luck with the competition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm intrigued by those celery cookies! Thanks for the book recommendation, it sounds fantastic.

      Delete
  6. What a tantalizing use of veggies in cake - and the photos make me want to try them all. The only veggie cake I have ever tried to date is carrot cake - which I happen to love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Liz - the kumara and potato cakes will convert people who don't like vege cakes, so I recommend giving them a try. If you like carrot cake then I think you'll love the beetroot one. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  7. Looks tempting..Cake is something that I can eat anytime. Just loved the pictures you posted. Thanks.
    cake online

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Lucy
    Thank you for this post.
    Your all cakes are looks awesome specially The Ultimate Carrot Cake are delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  9. week's challenge is to make a cake that includes vegetables as a star ingredient. I was shocked when one of my fellow bakers remarked she'd never heard of a vegetable cake before - if you're in the same boat, here are my own top five fab vegetable cake recipes. - See more at: http://kitchen-maid.blogspot.com/2014/08/five-fab-vegetable-cake-recipes.html#sthash.NDHPwRsl.dpuf x rated cakes

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice recipe. If you are looking to order a cake for your dear ones and want to give surprise then buy cakes from bakery in Mumbai with affordable price.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Hello - thanks for stopping by. If this was real life I'd make you a cup of tea and open the biscuit tin, but in lieu of those things, let's have a chat anyway...