by: easyfoodsmithPosted on:

WHEAT FLOUR DATES WALNUTS & CARROT CAKE

There is no beating of butter and sugar till it becomes fluffy, no whisking of eggs, no cut and fold method of assimilating the flour and other ingredients together. This cake simply requires mixing of all the ingredients, transferring them in the baking tin and letting the oven do the rest. [I baked this cake to get over my recent baking fiascos ;-)] It is one the simplest cakes that I have ever baked and also one of the healthiest and yummiest. Given a choice I would rather have this cake over chocolate cake. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolates but I am always sold out to the health quotient of a dish.

For the past three years I have been baking my cakes in a micro-oven and it is just recently that I purchased a conventional oven. After making this cake in the conventional oven I realized what a great difference it makes when a cake is baked in an oven and not a micro-oven. Nothing beats the traditional/ conventional method of baking – the texture was lighter and more delicate and the cake had retained its moisture and all this lead to an enhancement in its taste too. 

To make the cake healthier whole wheat flour has been used instead of plain flour. Also, I earlier used to use demerara sugar which I now substitute with coconut sugar. You can use granulated sugar or even packed brown sugar. My daughter, who is a pucca chocoholic and was never fond of this particular cake, enjoyed the oven made one to the core. Next time, I am going to double the amount of ingredients to have a larger cake J

 

This cake is incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed with a cup of hot or cold coffee/ tea and it can be paired with custard to make a delicious dessert. The idea of pairing it with custard just happened one fine day. I once had friends over for dinner and though I usually plan the whole menu, for some odd reason I didn’t give much thought to what I would serve for dessert! I had this cake in the fridge and I decided on making custard (which seems to be the easiest thing to make) and served this cake along with it. Everyone loved it and most had a second helping! I warmed the cake in micro-oven and served it with thick chilled custard and it was just the way I like my dessert – contrasting in texture and temperature.

 

The ingredients and the recipe:
 
½ cup any neutral Oil
½ cup Demerara Sugar / Coconut Sugar (you need to amount by a couple of tablespoons since coconut sugar is less intense)
3 large Eggs
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour / Wholemeal
¼ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Baking Powder
100 grams stoneless Dates, coarsely chopped (do not use Medjool or any soft dates)
50 grams Walnuts, coarsely chopped
¾ cup peeled and shredded Carrots
2 – 3 tbsp Milk

 

Prepare an 8 or 9 inch round baking tin. Grease and dust the pan with plain flour or line it with parchment paper.
Whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar. Lightly beat in the eggs.
Start mixing the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Start by adding half the amount of flour mix, walnuts, dates and carrots, each.
Incorporate them well so there are no dry patches. Finish off the rest of the batch along with the milk. 
Pour the batter in the prepped baking tin and bake at 170 degrees for 45 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean. The baking time will depend on your thermostat. 
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36 thoughts on “WHEAT FLOUR DATES WALNUTS & CARROT CAKE”

  1. Hey, this sounds like something I can manage! Tho’ I maybe a good cook but I can’t bake for nuts. Lol! Thks for sharing this friendly recipe 🙂

  3. This does look like an amazing yet healthy cake. The texture looks perfect and I like the use of dates in this cake. The true test of a winner is that its delicious flavor can stand alone as it requires no frosting or icing–this one does hit the mark in that aspect. Well done.

  5. The North Indian carrots really have a lovely colour. And what a coincidence, I was thinking of making a carrot cake yesterday and searching for recipes but was a little nervous as I haven’t made a carrot cake in years now. Your carrot cake looks rich, tempting and picture-perfect. After reading your post and seeing your cake, I feel more ready.

  6. So fluffy inside! I’m drawn to the photo of a piece of cake showing inside…. looks really delicious! I don’t bake or even make a cake (maybe a couple of times a year!), but this sounds like I can make it very easily! Love it!

  8. Oh so cruel! This is my all time favorite cake. I was trying to be SO good as of Jan.1. I think your post just made me fall from grace.

  11. What a beautiful cake! Two things I really love about it is…that it’s all mixed in one bowl…and that you can actually see the ingredients in it! I love dates and carrots and would love this for BREAKFAST with a cup of coffee! But I must admit…the version you made with the custard has really caught my eye! : )

  13. This cake looks and sounds fantastic. It totally looks like a cake I would love! I have never made a cake in a microwave oven …. I bet it was interesting to see the differences once you baked it in a regular oven.

  14. Now this is my kind of baking. I love simple baking recipes because baking and I are not friends yet. I am trying really hard to become friends with it so this cake takes me one step closer. Great Cake!! Well done! ~ Ramona

  18. This looks so moist and delicious! I love all the healthy ingredients included in the recipe.

    What a great idea layering the cake as a dessert in the glass! Great photos 🙂

  19. Wow – that sounds absolutely amazing! What a beautiful, moist cake…and who knew it could be so easy to make! Thanks!

  22. I am a lot like your daughter, chocoholic, but this doesn’t mean that I do not appreciate a beautifully made cake like this one! It must have tasted great and you are right about conventional versus microwave oven! Nothing compares to the traditional way of baking!

  25. Such a healthy cake. It looks light and fluffy – not at all what I would have thought with the whole wheat flour. I’m saving this recipe to try at a later date. Thanks for sharing.

  31. Lovely cake….i have tried carrot dates cake…but i luved ur healthy version of using wheat flour instead..will try it next tym…superb clicks too..!!

  34. Tried it today n turned out awesome….thanks fr sharing receipe…i always look for wheat based cakes….can we alternate for oil too…feel terrible wen i have to add oil in baking 😉

    1. Hi Leena, thanks for visiting my blog and trying this cake. It gives me immense pleasure to know that you enjoyed this cake 🙂
      Feel free to use butter instead of oil. I always avoid using butter for cakes as I try to keep their health quotient up which stands true especially for this cake.

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