Vegetables are not only for the dinner plate. Carrots, courgettes, beetroot and even sweet potato have been hiding in cakes, muffins and loaves for a long time, where they add moisture, gentle sweetness and colour. Baking with vegetables is a lovely way to use up a glut from the garden or the odds and ends in the fridge.
Grating and squeezing
Grate carrots finely and they melt into a cake batter, giving a soft crumb. Courgettes hold a lot of water, so grate them, sprinkle with a little salt, and squeeze them well in a clean tea towel before adding them to the batter. This stops the bake from becoming soggy. Beetroot can be grated too and gives chocolate cakes a deep, moist texture.
A classic carrot cake combines grated carrot with warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add chopped walnuts, raisins or a little grated apple if you like. Once cooled, top it with a simple cream cheese icing or leave it plain for an everyday treat. Courgette works beautifully in a lemon loaf, where a squeeze of citrus keeps the flavour bright.
Savoury bakes too
Vegetables also belong in savoury baking. Grated courgette or carrot can go into muffins with cheese and herbs, or into scones alongside a handful of spring onions. Sweetcorn and peppers are good in cornbread, and grated sweet potato adds moisture to a soft loaf. These bakes are ideal for lunchboxes and picnics.
A few tips help every time. Do not overmix the batter, as this makes the bake tough. Keep the pieces of vegetable small and even, so they cook through. Test the bake with a skewer, which should come out clean when it is ready. Let it cool on a wire rack, as vegetable bakes can be fragile when hot.
Store vegetable cakes in an airtight tin or container once they are fully cool. Cakes with cream cheese icing belong in the fridge. Most bakes freeze well, so wrap slices individually and take them out as you need them. Children rarely notice the vegetables, and adults often prefer the moist crumb, so these bakes are worth a place in your regular routine.
