"Easy A" Breakfast Carrot Cake. A-ntioxidant Packed!

I wanted to whip up a carrot loaf. But since I was out of carrots, I had to get creative. Open fridge, scan pantry, and start searching for ideas..

My "Easy A" Breakfast Carrot Cake (or muffins) is an easy way to get the A-ntioxidants, such as vitamin A, your body craves! Give my recipe a whirl and award yourself an Easy A grade for antioxidant awesomeness!..

Lovely AM Breakfast "Carrot Cake" Bars:

The Flavors. This super moist, bright orange 'cake' is infused with spicy cayenne, warm cinnamon, chunky pecans, succulent sweet peaches and plenty of warm carrot flavor. A sprinkling of oats adds the perfect topping texture. Bake, slice and serve for Grade A breakfast bliss.

Peaches, Pecans, Oats and ... Carrot Flavor:

So just how did I get carrot-infused "carrot cake" (or muffins or loaf) without the use of fresh carrots? Well FYI, if you want to add in some grated fresh carrots - go for it, but I simply used carrot juice! And success! I used bright orange, organic carrot juice that I had juiced and stuck in the fridge a few days ago.

I had never added carrot juice to a muffin/cake mix before, so I was working in experimentation mode. But it worked out splendidly - this recipe was a hit!

...especially with my husband who actually HATES carrot shreds in muffins/cakes/breads. So for kids, (or husbands) this is a great way to get them to drink their carrots via a tasty sweet/spicy cake or muffin.

**Takeaway Lesson** Try adding fruit and veggie juices in place of or to enhance your recipes - the thicker the juice or nectar the better. Experiment and you may be thrilled with your creative end product.

..Carrot cake w/o the 'carrot'! And it works!

Carrot Pancakes? This might make an excellent pancake recipe - modify it as you wish, but I vote "yum" for carrot/peach/pecan pancakes! The batter is moist enough. Ad some whipped maple/vegan cream cheese on the side and you will have your family flying out of bed on a Saturday morning.

"Sheet Cake" Bars:

Movie Weekend? So yes, there is a movie out this weekend call "Easy A" - go figure. But it has nothing to do with the "Easy A" you get in this yummy recipe. I guess after you test out this recipe for your weekend brunch menu - you can head out to the movies. Two well-reviewed movies opening this weekend. "The Town" and "Easy A". Drama or laugh - your choice. But first - click on the oven..

My recipe...

"Easy A" Breakfast Carrot Cake or Muffins
vegan, makes 15 muffins, 1 loaf or 1 sheet cake

¾ cup carrot juice
1 box Carrot Muffin Mix (I used DrOetker organic)
*see box-free subs below
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ cup spelt flour (or alt. flour)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup apple sauce
2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil (or alt. veg oil)
Fold in:
1 large ripe peach, diced
1 cup raw pecan, roughly chopped
Topping:
1 tablespoon sugar + ¼ cup oats

Box Sub: 3 cups of flour, ½ cup of sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, dash salt, ¼ cup canned pumpkin (op'tl) - then simply use all the above ingredients as indicated. Up the spices for a bolder flavor.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine muffin mix (or box sub ingredients shown above), juice, apple sauce, baking powder, spices, maple syrup, oil, salt and flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.

3. Fold in the chopped raw peaches and pecans.

4. Layer parchment paper on a thin cake baking sheet, or loaf pan. You can also make muffins. I used about a 8"x14" tray - 1 ½" tall. Pour the batter into your cooking dish. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the oats/sugar mixture over top.

5. Bake for 11-14 minutes (for sheet cake) or until cake is browned on top and not soggy in center. Baking time will vary by what you make. A loaf will take about 30+/- minutes while the thin sheet cake I made took only about 12 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing - the moist cake needs time to harden/cool a tad before serving.

Serve!

*Store on counter for no more than a few days - or freeze. You can fridge as well, but I prefer the freezer for longer-term storage.