this wholesome carob cake has a brownie-like effect as its a bit more dense and gooey – one piece is satisfying and filling when you need something sweet, and all ingredients are simple healthy and nutritious
dry:
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup whole grain flour (i use einkorn but spelt kamut ww etc all work)
- 1/2 cup carob powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp ground flax meal (golden if available)
wet:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plain plant yogurt (i use cashew or soy)
- 2 mashed ripe medium size bananas / about 3/4 cup
- 5 pitted medjool dates
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup hot water
background:
growing up we ate whole food plant based and as young children we always had carob instead of cocoa or chocolate, as it had no caffeine and was very nutritious – we didn’t have chocolate until we were older and LOVED everything carob! carob cupcakes, cakes, candies, cookies, breads – it was a favorite for us and all the kids who ate at our househistoric note:
the wild carob / locust bean gum tree grows throughout the mediterranean and has been enjoyed by humans throughout the ages – also widely known as st. john’s bread as st. john the baptist, believed to be a vegetarian (a counter-culture figure of love kindness and compassion for the times) survived on the pods of the locust bean gum tree in the desert – in the early vegetarian communities like seventh day adventists, carob was widely used and enjoyed as a healthier alternative to chocolate (this was before organic cacao was available and cocoa options were pretty limited comparatively), especially for growing children due to its nutrition content – some of the earliest treats available in health food stores were carob since these stores were often run by christian communities who truly did offer a very warm welcoming and abundant array of healthy meat and dairy free alternatives in those early days where there were far less optionsenvironmental note:
carob is far lower impact than cacao – its carbon footprint is significantly smaller, the trees grow well in arid conditions and produce a highly nutritious food, so as far as sustainability carob is a food from the future past that has much to offer to both human and environmental health – grab some and give it a try – if you’ve never had it you’re in for a treat photos show sandwich style, the cake after being refigerated (it gets more gooey), the cake just cooled and unrefrigerated, and the batter for reference – its good every way, even the batter 😉 Read more...Ingredients
- One can of black beans
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce. I usually just blend a chopped p apple with some lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 of a cup vegan chocolate chips, at least
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts