Spring is in the air, and Easter is just around the corner. Many people like to bring in the season with a yummy carrot cake. Carrots are, of course, the favorite food of the famous Easter Bunny.
The Hershey Company is seeking to capitalize on America’s springtime love of carrot cake by unveiling Carrot Cake Kisses, one of the newest Easter candies to hit the market. However, these sweets have nothing at all to do with delicious, nutritious carrots.
Not surprisingly, there are no carrots in the new Carrot Cake Kisses. Instead, according to media reports, they are made with white chocolate, carrot and spice flavorings, vanilla, a ton of sugar, and orange dye. While there is not currently an official ingredients list released by Hershey, you can bet it’s not something you want to be eating.
Sugar is big business in the United States, and it seems like children are offered candy for every holiday nowadays. According to Fortune, two billion dollars’ worth of Easter candy was purchased by Americans in 2015. Some parents may think that a little bit of candy every once in awhile is just fine, but, as many of us know, when it comes to sugar, it’s way too easy to go overboard.
Sugar has been found to be highly addictive, and the more kids get, the more they crave. Same goes for adults. This toxic substance has also been linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, cancer, and more. Add in the artificial colorings and flavorings (artificial or “natural”) in the mix, and you’ve got a bite-sized chemical disaster.
Instead of munching on all that sugar, why not make your own delicious carrot cake at home, free of gluten and sugar? The recipe below uses organic coconut crystals, which are much lower on the glycemic index than sugar, and provide your body with vitamins and minerals.
While it is still wise to eat any sweet dessert in moderation, you’ll be doing your body a favor by going with one that is made with coconut crystals instead of sugar. The kids will love it too!
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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
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| Prep Time: |
| 15minutes |
| Cook Time: |
| 50minutes |
| Total time: |
- 4 organic eggs
- 2cups organic coconut crystals
- 1 1/2cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1 vanilla bean, ground
- 2cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 2tsp baking soda
- 2tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2tsp nutmeg
- 1/2tsp allspice (optional)
- 1tsp sea salt
- 3cups grated organic carrots
- 1/2cup chopped, toasted nuts of your choice
- 1tbsp organic coconut oil, for greasing cake pans
- 4tbsp grass-fed butter
- 3oz organic cream cheese
- 1 vanilla bean, ground
- 2cups organic coconut crystals, finely ground in a spice grinder
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Whip eggs and ground coconut crystals in a large bowl. You may wish to use an electric mixer. Add the olive oil and vanilla bean.
- In another large bowl, mix gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (if you like), and sea salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg and coconut crystal mixture. Mix in the grated carrots and nuts. Pour the batter into two 9×9-inch baking pans, greased with organic coconut oil.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla bean, and coconut crystals on a high setting until smooth. Frost the cake after it has cooled.
Happy Easter!
—Tanya Rakhmilevich
Tanya is a writer at The Alternative Daily with a passion for meditation, music, poetry, and overall creative and active living. She has a special interest in exploring traditional Eastern remedies and superfoods from around the globe, and enjoys spending time immersed in nature.
Sources:
http://fortune.com/2016/02/17/hersheys-carrot-cake-kisses
http://www.today.com/food/hop-it-candy-makers-unveil-carrot-cake-malt-other-specials-t73801
