Dessert: Coconut Carrot Cake

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Lemon

Health and fertility benefits of Coconut Carrot Cake

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to.

Ingredients

Butter or cooking spray, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
A pinch of salt
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Spiced Mascarpone Frosting, recipe follows
1/2 cup toasted coconut, for garnish
Spiced Mascarpone Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch-round cake pans and line each bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Beat the sugar and eggs together until smooth and pale. Slowly beat in the oil, scraping the sides of the bowl so it is evenly blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, cloves and salt and add to the eggs. Continue to beat until it is just combined. Stir in the carrots and coconut and pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool and remove the cakes to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
To frost: Place a cake layer on a cake platter and cover with a layer of the Spiced Mascarpone Frosting. Place the second layer on top of it and frost the rest of the cake. Scatter the toasted coconut on top.
Beat the cream cheese, mascarpone and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar, lemon juice, cardamom, cloves and salt and beat until light and fluffy. If the icing seems a little runny, add a little more icing sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Use immediately for frosting the cake. Freeze any unused frosting for another use.

Add a review for Coconut Carrot Cake