I work with people who have health challenges... sometimes big health challenges:
- auto-immune,
- cancer,
- diabetes, etc.
The ravages of modern living and modern eating raise holy hell with people's bodies creating ongoing inflammation, immune activation, cellular metabolism issues, blood sugar issues, glandular ill health... BUT, people still want an occasional celebratory food to relax into and enjoy.
With above said health challenges; the removal of gluten, grains, and cow's milk dairy (it is a caesin & A1 protein / caesin issue) are imperative (from a functional medicine / natural health perspective) to reduce gut and immune health inflammation and get the healing process rolling.
My son Jakob's birthday is always celebrated twice: once with his summer, Lake Ozonia friends and once with family. Dates and times available never seem to mesh to celebrate with all together.
Summer Friend Birthday Celebration: Bridge Jumping, Jake's On The H2O, & Cake
This year I made him the standard, as close to whole food, Oreo® cookie cake that a mom can muster up in the kitchen. I use Newman's Organic creme filled chocolate cookies. It is year # 6 for this cake, making twice yearly for both sons, and I think I have perfected it.
Now comes the family celebration cake. With health issues to consider, I have opted to make a non-inflammatory cake of Jake's 2nd favorite option... carrot cake. Click carrot cake, back there, for the standard whole food carrot cake recipe. Oh yeah... and enjoy.
Grain Flour Free, Cow's Milk & Butter Free, Gluten Free BUT Yummy Whole Food Carrot Cake:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (I used raw goats milk soured with 1 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar)
- 3/4 cup organic coconut oil (melted)
- 3/4 cup sucanat sugar
- 3 tsp. vanilla
- 3 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
- 3/4 cup fresh ground coconut flour
- 1 cup fresh ground almond flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2-3 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1 rounded TBSP. baking powder
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 - 8 oz can pineapple with natural juice, no added sugar (I used the organic canned pineapple from the Coop, it is a 14 oz can, i used 1/2+. I will use the whole can the next time I make this yummy cake.)
(All ingredients organic and naturally raised)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Beat eggs, then beat in buttermilk, and coconut oil.
- Blend in sugar, vanilla, and spices.
- Mix in nut flours, b. soda, b. powder, and salt.
- Shred carrots on a cheese grater and blend into batter.
- Chop pineapple pieces in blender to a puree and mix into batter.
- Add 1/2 the can's pineapple juice and mix in well.
- Use coconut oil to grease two 8" round cake pans, divide batter evenly between two pans
- Bake for 45 minutes, until cakes is pulling from edge of pans and knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool until just warm and turn out on cooling racks.
- When completely cool, frost the bottom layer, add the top layer, and frost top and sides completely.
Options: You can add the raisins, coconut flakes, and walnuts of the original recipe.
Frosting:
This creates a cow's milk dairy free frosting. Auto-immune conditions benefit from avoiding gluten and cow's milk dairy.
- 2 cups raw unsalted cashews, covered in water and soaked overnight (24 hours is even better)
- 3/4 - 1 cup sheep's milk feta
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. water (use water from soaking the cashews)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch or two of unrefined sea salt
I soaked 2 cups of organic, raw cashews (I think they were free range?) overnight in a wide mouth 3 cup peanut butter jar. Put the cashews in the jar and just cover with enough water to submerge the nuts. They will swell considerably by AM.
- Drain cashews. Place in food processor with remaining frosting ingredients.
- Purée on high. You want all ingredients to blend well together into a creamy consistency.
- Scrape out of food processor into a bowl and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and fluff with a fork.
- Freeze again for 15 minutes.
- Fluff up again.
- Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Fluff again.
- Freeze for final 15 minutes.
- Fluff very vigorously until frosting becomes light.
- Frost your carrot cake.
- Refrigerate until serving time.