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Carrot Gingerbread is a delicious moist gingerbread that includes grated carrots. We’ve all heard of Carrot Cake and most of us absolutely love it, but Kate Hackworthy takes baking and making desserts with vegetables to a whole new level.
I’m sharing my review of Kate’s first book Veggie Desserts + Cakes: Carrot Cake and beyond.You’ll also find the recipe for the very delicious Carrot Gingerbread at the end of the review.
About the Author
Food writer Kate Hackworthy, of award-winning Veggie Desserts blog, combines her true passion for veg with a love of baking, with delicious results.
Kate puts vegetables into scrumptious cakes, muffins, biscuits, tarts brownies, pastries and even ice cream. The book Veggie Desserts +Cakes is the culmination of years of hard work perfecting this unique take on baking which provides natural sweetness and extra nutrients with less sugar and fat required to make truly great tasting treats.
Introduction
The introduction provides an insight into why Kate chooses to bake and make desserts with vegetables. There is also half a page of practical notes to help you get the best from the recipes and what to look out for in terms of baking with vegetables. I found these notes really useful and an insight into Kate’s skill and experience.
The Recipes
The chapters are split into Cakes; Cupcakes; Cookies; Square + Traybakes; Pies + Pastries; Frozen desserts and More Sweet Treats.
Each of these chapters is filled with delicious options, consequently, it was tricky to pick out a few to highlight, however. my top 10 picks from Veggie Desserts + Cakes are:
- Pear and Parsnip Cake with Salted Honey Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache
- Cucumber and Lemon Cake with Gin Icing (yes, GIN icing!)
- Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with Cherry Icing
- Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins with Walnuts and Crystalized Ginger
- Sweet Potato and Pecan Blondies
- Carrot Gingerbread
- Avocado Lime Tarts
- Beetroot and Vanilla Sorbet
- Pumpkin and Almond Swirled Frozen Yogurt Bark
- Sparkling Carrot Lemonade
Why Carrot Gingerbread?
I tasted the most incredible piece of carrot cake at The Hoebridge Cafe, Mellerstain House in the Scottish Borders when I was on holiday there. It was the moistest and most delicious piece of cake I’d had for a very long time.
I’m also a big fan of gingerbread, I used to make it often when my sons were at home, and it was a must to take on self-catering holidays.
I was super excited to see that Kate had a recipe that combined these two brilliant cakes in her recipe for Carrot Gingerbread and Ijust had to make it.
Who is Veggie Desserts for?
Do you enjoy baking and making desserts and like to try something a little different? If so this is probably a good choice for you and you would also love Veggie Desserts + Cakes if you are interested in reducing sugar while still enjoying a sweet treat then this is definitely the book for you.
Pros
Innovative and interesting recipes laid out clearly and using ingredients that will be in your larder or fridge. Really attractive and well-styled photographs
Cons
There isn’t a photograph for every recipe which is what I prefer as I like to see what I’m aiming to make.
The Verdict
I’ve long been a fan of Kate’s fabulous veggie desserts and cakes and it’s so nice to see them brought together in print.
I would really recommend you to make the Carrot Gingerbread, it was so easy to make and is everything that a gingerbread should be.
It’s sweet, sticky and with just enough ginger to satisfy the most discerning gingerbread lover, it also went down very well with all of my family from age 4 to 94!
Veggie Desserts +Cakes by Kate Hackworthy, Published by Pavillion, RRP £14.99
More Gingerbread Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Mini Gingerbreads with Lemon Glaze
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread Slab
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Carrot Gingerbread
Kate Hackworthy
Chunky slabs of rich, dark, spiced gingerbread made moist with grated carrots.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 20 squares
Calories 410 kcal
Ingredients
- 200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
- 200 g/7 oz scant 1 cup light soft brown sugar
- 200 g/7 oz/2/3 cup black treacle molasses
- 375 g/13 oz /3 cups plain all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- 250 ml/ 8 1/2 fl oz/1 cup whole milk
- 150 g/5 1/4 oz 1 1/2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 large free-range eggs beaten
- 3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/320F/gas 2.
Grease and line a 23 x 30mm/9 x 12 in baking pan with baking parchment.
Heat the butter, sugar and treacle in a pan, stirring until smooth and melted. Leave to cool slightly.
Sift the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
Stir in the milk, carrot, beaten egg, stem ginger and treacle mixture an stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour until well risen and springy in the middle.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 528mgPotassium: 1658mgFiber: 13gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 76725IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 193mgIron: 2.8mg
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