Applesauce-Carob Cake Two Ways

Remember that great pear pie I made recently? Well, I continued to dive into the lovely, yet out-of-print cookbook from Mollie Katzen, Still Life With Menu, and found a great no-fail cake. It's so great that I really pushed the recipe to its limits of alterability, and it tasted even better!

I made the cake twice in two weeks for the same large group (at least 20) of people. The second week, I served the low-fat version, which received louder accolades ("This is f&%$#ing good!")(I know, it's a family show, but that's what the guy said!)

The cake is greatly improved overnight, so make it a day ahead of when you want to serve it. It tastes very fudgy, but if you want it even more carob-y, feel free to add a cup of carob chips. It's not overly sweet, so if you're looking for a very sweet cake, add a cup of chopped Medjool dates.

Below are the two versions in their entirety. The second version is nearly vegan except for the eggs. So, use an egg substitute with the second version to veganize it.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) soft butter
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup finely ground walnuts (be careful they don't become a paste)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a bundt pan.
2. In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and agave. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.



3. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest.
4. In a separate, large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.



5. In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce and yogurt until well blended.
6. Add the dry mixture and applesauce mixture alternately to the butter mixture. Do not overmix.



7. Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.



Bake for 45 minutes, making sure your oven temp does not go above 325 degrees F. Test the cake to make sure a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just the barest amount of crumbs stuck to it.



Low-fat, Nearly Vegan Version

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white bean puree (I used cannellini beans)
1/3 cup oil
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
2 eggs (vegans, use egg substitute here)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup finely ground pecans (be careful they don't become a paste)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a bundt pan.
2. In your mixer bowl, cream together the pureed beans, oil, and agave. Add eggs/egg substitute one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest.
4. In a separate, large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
5. In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce and yogurt until well blended.
6. Add the dry mixture and applesauce mixture alternately to the butter mixture. Do not overmix.



7. Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.



Bake for 45 minutes, making sure your oven temp does not go above 325 degrees F. Test the cake to make sure a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just the barest amount of crumbs stuck to it.



Slice and enjoy!