Welcome to another episode of Date Night with Ellen. In past episodes Matt has focused on meals and appetizers that he feels would really resonate with Ellen. This time he decided to go for her sweet tooth with a delicious vegan carrot cake recipe.
According to food historians the carrot cake we all know and love most likely had it’s roots in Medieval carrot puddings that were enjoyed by people in Europe. No one really seems to know exactly where carrot cake came from however. The available information points to an evolution from the carrot pudding of medieval times that was most prevalent during the middle ages.
Those were hard times for everyone and sugar as well as many other sweeteners were hard to come by in Britain. On the off chance you did find them they were often too expensive for any common man to afford. Due to their natural sweetness and ease of availability carrots had long been used as sugar substitutes, one of the main reasons that carrot pudding became such a prolific dish.
As more and more people have chosen to be acutely aware of what they are putting into their bodies the ingredients for carrot cake have changed time and again in an effort to create a healthier version of the dessert. While Matt may not be a vegan he certainly can appreciate a well made vegan dessert. As many of you are already aware Ellen DeGeneres, the person that inspired Matt’s vegan carrot cake recipe, has been a die hard vegan for quite some time.
When making any recipe suitable for vegan consumption there a number of substitutions that have to happen. The tricky part is to find substitutes the will be a good fit on every level. The substituted ingredient not only has to perform as well as the original when cooked it also has to have good flavor. The flavor part is one that has become a stumbling block for some over the years. Matt does not seem to have any issue at all finding great substitutes for his carrot cake recipe.
There are many little things that go into this recipe that set it apart from a typical cake recipe. For instance, when you watch the video you’ll notice that Matt adds a fair amount of apple sauce to his batter. As it turns out this is a secret weapon that guarantees your cake will stay moist after baking. He also adds in melted coconut oil. Coconut oil is being heralded in as the go-to substitution in many recipes but most notably chocolate chip cookies. Some people simply prefer the flavor of coconut oil, others use it for it’s health benefits, and some even just like the way it makes recipes turn out.
If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to the classic carrot cake look no further. If you’re just looking for a delicious carrot cake recipe this is also a great fit for you.
If you enjoyed this carrot cake recipe please feel free to leave a comment below and make your own suggestions for the next episode of Date Night with Ellen. Thank you so much for tuning, don’t be a stranger! Be sure to subscribe at the link below so you don’t miss any new content.
If you happen to be in Toronto stop by the Lisa Marie restaurant and experience delicacies made by the masters themselves. You can see their menu as well as the food truck and catering options at their website:
Wise move on the carrot cake recipe. Surely Ellen will come around.
love a good carrot cake – one of my faves
Coconut oil is the only way to go. Good call.
agreed 100%
How could Ellen not have you on the show after that touching serenade?
I mean seriously. If someone serenaded me like that I would put them on my show.
This is just exactly the cake I needed to find. My Grandma is a vegan and she is over the moon for carrot cake. Sweet.