Baking Friday

Just over a month ago I bought this book that I just looove and have already spoke about it here,, the name is Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache from Harry Eastwood. Today having arrived home happy and ready for a 5 days break I decided to treat myself to a very nice dessert but didn’t want to be too naughty as that is already going to happen during our trip to Cardiff. Book in hand, I picked one particular veggie and went for it. I didn’t really have all the ingredients at home but decided to try the recipe anyways. The cake is beautifully fluffy and I’ll have to try it again with the choc chips as that will be the perfect complement to this bitter chocolaty cake that can definitely doble as a double choc chip muffin as you top up the chips by another 50g, but don’t add more than that as they will sink and the cake will become heavy.

So here is the recipe for this guilt free cupcake…I’m not posting the instructions for the icing first because

I used a bit of left over I had in the fridge and that wasn’t the one in the book, so the naughty chocolate icing recipe will stay for a next time.




3 medium free-range eggs (I like the idea but used regular ones)
180g Demerara sugar (didn’t have it so used 100g caster and 80g regular sugar)
2 tbsp strong coffee or boiling water if you don’t like coffee (I also added a bit of vanilla here)
250g peeled and finely grated carrot
120g white rice flour
50g ground almond
40g good quality cocoa
2tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
100g chocolate chips (any colour you like) – I didn’t have any at home so made without it

I use electrical whisk all the way on this recipe. The instructions say it will give you 12 cakes but I managed to get 11, I think she meant 12 on fairy cake size and I’ve made muffin size ones.

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the cupcake tins with paper cases.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar for a full 5 minutes until mix quadrupled in volume and extremely fluffy.
Whisk in the carrot and coffee. When they are fully incorporate, beat in the flour, ground almond, cocoa, baking powder and salt mix it with a electric whisk until they are well combine. Fold in the choc chips with a spatula until they are scattered hither and thither.
Spoon them into the tin filling until about 0.50 cm from the edge. Bake it for 25 minutes them cool them as usual cupcakes. Make sure to cool them completely before icing them.

There are a few tips on this book that go for pretty much every recipe so I’ll only post them here
Flour – all the recipes are with rice flour but you can use regular plain flour as well, I’m trying the gluten free option as my tummy appreciates that but they have all been tested with both versions.
Veggie – if like me you like to have all the ingredients measured and ready before hand then make sure to leave the grating bit for last as this way you keep the freshness of the veggie and all the juices as well. When grating them use the finest bit of your grater. On the book Harry tells you not to use a food processor but I know it works well for carrots so this time I’ve cheated!!!