Calm Down Carrot Cake

One of my favorite things to do with my essential oils is to bake with them.  I love incorporating them into raw recipes so I get all the goodness, but really I love how they flavor baked goods.

Did you know that Citrus oils, like Orange [Citrus Sinesis], are being studied for their calming properties?  I love how I feel when I'm diffusing citrus!

So I decided to come up with a baked good that also has a bit of an uncooked component so I can get all the essential oil's benefits.  This carrot cake has a simply syrup that you can pour on top for that extra orange flavor.  When I worked in a bakery, we poured a Grand Marnier simple syrup over our carrot cakes before icing.  This orange EO simply syrup is a healthy substitute for that yummy taste!

My kids call this "fiber cake" since I make it with all the fiber pulled out from juicing our carrot juice :)  Since that name wasn't very appetizing, I decided to change it!  If you juice, you can use the carrot pulp from juicing (just make sure to juice your carrots first and pull the pulp out into jars before finishing your juice.  Store in jars in refrigerator until you have enough).  Our juicer produces very dry pulp, so note that the measurements are different if using fresh grated carrots from a food processor or by hand.

Calm Down Carrot Cake

(gluten/dairy/egg/free, vegan)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup all purpose GF baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1 To 1, found in most stores)
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 2 cups carrot pulp from juicing or 1 1/2 cups freshly grated carrots
• 2 Tbsp water (1 ounce)
• 6 drops Orange Essential Oil
• Can also add 1 tsp cinnamon or 3 drops Cinnamon Bark EO, but I like the flavor of just orange
• For the Orange Simple Syrup: 4 Tbsp Coconut Sugar, 3 Tbsp boiling water, 4-6 drops Orange EO

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease an 8" or 9" loaf pan with coconut oil.  TIP:  If you want easy removal from pan, add a parchment sheet to the bottom and press up on longer sides.  This way just the ends are exposed and can easily be run with a knife and you just lift out the parchment paper when baked.  The whole loaf cake will come out then :)  You can also use 2 8" cake pans for a layered cake.
• Mix all dry goods (GF baking flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and sugar) in a bowl and whisk together.
• Melt the coconut oil and stir in with the carrots, apple sauce, water, and add the 8 drops of orange EO
• Stir in wet ingredients into dry, the batter will be thick.  This is ok since it's not a traditional wheat batter.  The magic happens in the oven :)
• Pour into greased pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
• While cake is baking, mix the simply syrup by adding the sugar to the hot water and string until dissolved.  Don't add the Orange EO until the syrup is cool.
• Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes.
• Top the whole thing with syrup as desired, or add to each slice individually like a sauce.
• Feed to kids or self when calming down is needed ;)

Another batch I made where I poured the Orange Syrup on top

*All recipes using essential oils on this blog are specific to Young Living essential oils only.  I cannot give recommendations and suggestions on any oils but Young Living's essential oils.  The statements made on this blog about Young Living Essential Oils have not been evaluated by the FDA.  These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Anyone pregnant, nursing, or suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician.  If you are currently on medication, please do not stop.  It's always good to do your own research.  I have done mine for my family and we chose to incorporate YL essential oils into our lives.  If you are wanting to follow and do the same, please visit here for more information.