two questions- carrot/veggie cake/muffin recipies? and baking with yogurt?

[anomaly13]

So I am looking for a healthy carrot or veggie, thinking zucchini or a mix, cake or muffin recipe.

I made a carrot cake a few months ago and it was so heavy. I used ww flour, less sugar then the recipe called for, but it was way too heavy on the oil (whihc I didn't realize until after I baked it, it didn't seem like much in the recipe but it was). It was greassy, I had to toss over half of it.

So I was wondering about using yogurt in place of oil. I think I have read of recipes that do it, and I may have done it myself I just cannot remember the details. Can I sub 1 for 1, oil for yogurt; 1 cup yogurt in place of 1 cup oil?

I am sure all the benifits of the yogurt will be killed during baking, but if it leads to a lighter, healthier end result I am fine with that.

[hippiechickinsing]

I use the lighter carrot cake recipe from everyday food. It has 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup yogurt. I usually cut down the sugar, too. These are really light cakes. I took them to school for a bake sale last year and the kids are still talking about them.

I don't know about subbing yogurt for all the oil. I've subbed applesauce for oil in other recipes and found that I can cut half the oil, but with no oil the recipe gets pretty heavy. One time I found myself without yogurt and used sour cream with good results. I've also used lemon yogurt in the carrot cake recipe.

[somegirl99]

I like the Yam Spice Muffin recipe from the Vegetarian starter kit.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/recipes/recipe990726.html

[Arianwen1174]

Originally Posted by hippiechickinsing

I don't know about subbing yogurt for all the oil. I've subbed applesauce for oil in other recipes and found that I can cut half the oil, but with no oil the recipe gets pretty heavy. One time I found myself without yogurt and used sour cream with good results. I've also used lemon yogurt in the carrot cake recipe.

Here is the recipe I use. I call it Isaac's Birth Day Carrot Cake because I made it when I was in labor with my son Isaac. It's wonderfully light and so yummy!

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar (this is down from the original 2, yikes!)
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 to 3/4 cup oil (down from original 1-1/4!)
1/2 to 3/4 cup applesauce (enough to make up for less oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, NOT drained
3 eggs

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 2 minutes (mixer works best because it breaks up the oranges). Oven 350. Bake a 9x13" pan for 45 to 60 minutes, until done. Bake cupcakes (makes about 24) for about 20 minutes. Not sure about round cake pans, sorry. Tastes even better the next day!

[Arianwen1174]

Forgot to mention that I've made this vegan in the past by using egg replacer and it worked great...

[ParisApril]

Originally Posted by anomaly13

So I am looking for a healthy carrot or veggie, thinking zucchini or a mix, cake or muffin recipe.

I made a carrot cake a few months ago and it was so heavy. I used ww flour, less sugar then the recipe called for, but it was way too heavy on the oil (whihc I didn't realize until after I baked it, it didn't seem like much in the recipe but it was). It was greassy, I had to toss over half of it.

So I was wondering about using yogurt in place of oil. I think I have read of recipes that do it, and I may have done it myself I just cannot remember the details. Can I sub 1 for 1, oil for yogurt; 1 cup yogurt in place of 1 cup oil?

I am sure all the benifits of the yogurt will be killed during baking, but if it leads to a lighter, healthier end result I am fine with that.

When baking with a recipe that you think has too much fat in it you can do a couple of things.

1. Simply add less fat.

2. Replace the fat with something. I prefer to use apple or pear sauce because the recipe will still stay moist.

In the case of your recipe I would probably just cut the fat because the cake is carrot/zuccini it will already be very moist and cutting some of the fat will not make it dry.

Carrot Muffins/Loaf

In a bowl mix together.
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda

In a seperate bowl mix.
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of a lemon or 1 tsp vanilla
2 cups finely shredded carrots

Mix dry ingredient to wet. Do not over mix. Bake in a greased pan.

Muffins 350* for 20 min.
Loaf 350* for 35-40min.

April