Dessert: Carrot Cake

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Nuts, Walnuts, Pineapple

Health and fertility benefits of 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). Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss. Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Ingredients

2 cups/500 ml all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon/15 ml baking powder
2 teaspoons/10 ml baking soda
1 teaspoon/5 ml ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5 ml allspice
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5 ml ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5 ml ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5 ml salt
1 1/2 cups/375 ml sugar
1 cup/250 ml canola oil
4 eggs
3 cups/750 ml peeled and grated carrots
1 cup/250 ml chopped pineapple
1 cup/250 ml walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup/125 ml dried cherries
1/2 cup/125 ml dried golden raisins

Instructions

For the cake: With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two 8-inch (20-cm) springform pans with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the sugar, oil and eggs with a whisk. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. With a spatula, gently fold in the carrots, pineapple, walnuts, cherries and raisins. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pans on a rack. Run the blade of a knife around the cakes and unmold. For the frosting: In a bowl, cream the cream cheese with the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer. Add the zest and juice and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the top of the cakes and stack them on a platter. For the maple walnuts: In a skillet, bring the syrup to a boil. Add the walnuts and stir continuously until the syrup has crystallized around the walnuts. Pour onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and let cool. Garnish the cake.

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