Vegan Carrot Prune Tea Cake (Wheat Free)

Sounds too “healthy” to taste good — carrots and prunes are bad enough, but vegan and wheat free? Might as well eat cardboard, right? Not so fast. Actually these are really great! They’re moist, balanced in flavor, and pretty easy to make. (And check out my other recipe post with dehydrating instructions and photos of the prunes we made from Mansing’s generous gift of plums!)

yield: 8 small cakes  |  prep time: 30 minutes  |  baking time: about 30 minutes

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ingredients

• ¾ cup diced pitted prunes

• 1 cup almond milk, warmed

• ¼ cup agave nectar

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened

• 1 cup brown rice flour

• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour

• ½ cup potato flour

• ¼ cup almond meal

• ¼ cup oatmeal

• 2½ teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest

• ½ cup orange juice

• 1 cup grated carrots

• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly oil 2 small loaf pans, or 8 10-ounce soufflé dishes.

2. Place the diced prunes in a small bowl and cover with almond milk to soak and soften for 20 minutes.

3. In a separate small bowl, combine the agave, maple syrup and coconut oil. Set aside

4. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour almond meal and oatmeal. Stir in the baking powder, salt, baking soda and grated orange zest.

5. Drain the almond mild from the prunes into the bowl containing the agave mixture. Add the orange juice and stir well. Gradually stir this wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly.

6. Stir in the carrots and prunes and mix well. Turn out into prepared pans and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. For the smaller cakes, this will take about 25 minutes, for the larger loaves it will take about 45 minutes. Watch carefully and when the breads are lightly browned on top and around the edges and are pulling away from the edge of the baking pan, test for doneness.

7. Remove from oven and place baking pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto the cooling rack and cool completely.