sweet miscellany

seasonal plant-based recipes

Juicy Juice & A New Design

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First order of business: a new layout!  I simplified and streamlined the look of the blog so it focuses more on the pictures.  Let me know how you like it!

Second order of business: juice!  I figured I would lighten things up around here after the muffins and cake and share one of my favorite juices to make with my new juicer.  It’s refreshing and perfect for any time of day.  All I do is combine 2 apples (I’m loving honeycrisp or pink lady at the moment), 1/3 of a lemon, and a some ginger.  That’s it!  It makes the most wonderful combination of sweet, tart, and spicy.  If you don’t have a juicer, not to worry!  Simply spruce up your favorite apple juice with a bit of fresh lemon and ginger, or make it more of a smoothie in a blender with some ice. 

Apple-Lemon-Ginger Juice
makes 1 glass

2 apples, cut in quarters
1/3 of a large lemon, peel and pith removed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, outer skin removed

Juice the apples first, followed by the lemon and the ginger.  Give it a stir and enjoy the simple pleasure of a fresh cup of juice!

A Birthday Cake

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So it’s my berfday and I made myself a cake.  Yes, I made my own birthday cake.  I haven’t actually tried it yet (I will be enjoying it tonight), but based on the fact that I stood in my kitchen for 10 minutes licking every last bit of the batter out of the bowl and off of my fingers, I’m betting that it will be delicious.

It has whole grains, and cocoa, and beets.  Beets??!!!???!?  Yes, beets.  My fingers (and kitchen) were stained pink temporarily for the sake of this cake and I didn’t even care.  What’s life without a little color, right? 

To make it fancy, I baked it in a bundt pan I got for Christmas, and then made a thick glaze out of organic coconut milk and organic powdered sugar.  If you have a birthday coming up, or a hankering for cake, make this and tell me how you like it 🙂

Chocolate Beet Cake with Coconut Milk Glaze
this cake works well in a bundt pan, but if you don’t have one, divide the batter between two regular round cake pans and decrease your baking time to about 30 minutes

for the cake:
1 cup organic unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup organic spelt flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil, safflower oil, or extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup wildflower honey
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 medium-sized beets

for the glaze:
1 cup organic powdered sugar
about 3 to 4 tbsp organic coconut milk

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease/flour your pans.  Scrub the beets, slice them into halves, and steam them until just tender.  This took me around 10 or 15 minutes.  Once they are tender, remove them and let them cool until they can be handled.  Grate the beets into a colander, making sure to discard the skin.  Leave the beets in the colander to drain some of their juices while you prepare the rest of the cake.  Right before adding them to the batter, gently squeeze the beets with a paper towel to release more of their juices.   

In a large bowl, sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine all of the dry ingredients and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat together the oil, honey, and maple syrup until combined.  Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until they are completely incorporated.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until everything is combined.  With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the dry ingredients until everything is just combined (make sure not to over-beat!!).  Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold the beets in by hand until evenly distributed in the batter.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the cake springs back when touched and a tested inserted in the middle comes out clean.  If you are using 2 regular round cake pans, start testing for doneness around 30 minutes.

Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the bundt pan for about 30 minutes, then invert it onto a plate or platter and let it cool completely before serving.

To make the glaze, whisk together the coconut milk and powdered sugar until it comes to a thick, glaze consistency.  If it is too thick, add more coconut milk.  If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.  You want the glaze to be thick, but still pourable.  Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.  Enjoy!