The warming spices and nourishing ingredients of Carrot Chai Cake let you indulge in dessert without feeling too guilty
What could be better than a moist, subtly spiced carrot cake enveloped in a tangy cream cheese frosting? With an infusion of classic Masala chai flavors and enriched with the goodness of ghee, this Carrot Chai Cake is a twist on a traditional carrot cake recipe that brings just the right amount of warmth and love to your kitchen.
Check out our blog for more great ghee recipes!
The health benefits of this dessert
When it’s deep winter and most other vegetables are either frozen or canned, it’s our humble carrot, still crisp and sweet, that waits for us in the bottom of the fridge or the back of the pantry. Full of thiamine, niacin, vitamins B6, A, C and K, what a great way to bring vital vitamins and minerals to dessert! Besides these vitamins and minerals, carrots also contain fiber, manganese and potassium.
In addition to the great benefits of carrots, this recipe is also infused with Assam tea. Assam tea, also called black, breakfast, English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast, contains polyphenols including catechins, flavonoids, and tannins. These polyphenols are plant-based chemicals that research suggests may contain many health benefits.
Of course, ghee is a featured ingredient on our Carrot Chai Cake, and ghee is loaded with all sorts of goodness. It contains omega-3 and omega 9 essential fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as 9 phenolic antioxidants plus numerous other minerals. Check out this blog post to learn more about the health benefits of ghee.
To finish it off, the cake is generously flavored with the warming spices of ginger, cinnamon and cardamom which help stimulate and soothe the digestive system. According to Ayurveda, India’s 5,000-year-old medicinal science, healthy digestion is considered key to overall health.
The Recipe: Carrot Chai Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
| 1/4 cup almond milk | 3 tsp baking powder |
| 1 Tbsp Assam tea | 1 tsp salt |
| 1 cup sugar | 7 – 8 turns of fresh ground black pepper |
| 3/4 cup ghee, melted | 1 1/2 tsp cardamon |
| 3 eggs, room temperature | 1 1/2 tsp ginger |
| 1 tsp vanilla extract | 1 tsp ground cinnamon |
| 2 cups flour | 2 cups fresh shredded carrots, about 2 large carrots |
For the frosting:
| 1/2 cup butter, room temperature | 1/2 tsp cardamon |
| 8oz cream cheese, room temperature | 1/2 tsp ginger |
| 1 cup sifted powdered sugar | 1/2 tsp cinnamon |
| 1/2 tsp vanilla extract | pinch of salt |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 6″ cake pans with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a microwave-safe cup, heat almond milk until warm (about 1 – 2 minutes). Add the Assam tea and let brew while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, melted ghee, eggs, and vanilla. Once the milk has cooled slightly, add it to the bowl. Stir together the wet ingredients.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in three parts, carefully folding the ingredients together and making sure not to over mix.
- Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Divide the batter between the two pans, and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Add all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and whip together until smooth.
- Once the cakes have cooled, frost as desired. Enjoy!
About Full Moon Ghee
Full Moon Ghee is made in Western Massachusetts from pure Jersey cow butter sourced from local farms where the cows are fed high-quality grass, treated ethically, without the use of hormones or antibiotics. To honor Ayurvedic traditions, we cultivate a peaceful or sattvic state of mind and chant mantras while making our ghee. Each batch is made with intention on the full moon.
Sources:
Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels
