Photographer: Ben Dearnley. Stylist: Sophia Young. Photochef: Nadia Fonoff.
Made with nutritious, feel good ingredients like quinoa and oat bran, these mini healthy carrot cake loaves make a beautiful addition to springtime picnics, healthy lunchboxes or a simple, sunny afternoon tea.
You’ll need these…
Ingredients
Method
Place quinoa and 1¼ cups (310ml) water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat; stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Spread quinoa onto a tray to cool. You will need 1½ cups cooked quinoa.
Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Grease an 8-hole (¾-cup/180ml) mini loaf pan; line bases and sides with baking paper.
Combine oat bran, flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a large bowl. Stir in combined molasses, egg, butter and milk. Stir in cooled quinoa, grated carrot and pear until combined. Spoon mixture into pan; mixture will reach the top. Top each with a baby carrot half, trimmed to fit.
Bake loaves for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave loaves in pan for 5 minutes before transferring, top-side up, onto a wire rack. Brush tops with maple syrup; cool.
Can you freeze these mini carrot cake loaves?
These mini carrot cake loaves are best made on day of serving, and can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Variations to try
Instead of baby carrot to top, you could cut an extra-small pear into thin wedges. You can use 8 holes from two 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) Texas muffin pans, instead of the mini loaf pan.
Healthy carrot cake ingredients
You will need 2 medium carrots (240g) to get 1 cup grated carrot.
Quinoa is a gluten-free seed that is used much like a grain. It is available as white, red or tri-coloured, and has a delicate slightly nutty taste and chewy texture. Always rinse quinoa well before using.
Make this recipe dairy-free by using dairy-free spread instead of butter and almond milk instead of regular milk.
