Root Vegetable Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We’re entering the in between.

You know that time when some days are super nice and the sun is shining and if you don’t look at the date on the calendar, you’d swear it’s the middle of July, and some days you need a jacket and it’s gloomy and you can feel the season changing in the air?

The time when football is on but so are the crappy reality shows that the networks managed to pump out at an unbelievably fast pace.

When the flowers are still blooming and the leaves are starting to change.

The peaches and tomatoes are hit and miss and the fall foods are popping up in the stores.  More than just pumpkin spice everything.

I’ll take the nice weather, mediocre television, and summer flowers and fruit, but the craving for a comforting, warmly spiced dessert can strike even when I’m hanging onto what has been faaaaarrrr from my best summer life.

So I made a root vegetable cake.

I know, you’re thinking you don’t really want anything called root vegetable cake.  But keep an open mind because it’s just a cake with carrots, sweet potatoes, and some beets (you can leave the beets out if you’re too freaked out by them and their particular … earthiness).  I had all three on hand and wanted to use them up.  They’re all shredded and combined with tons of spices to make a hearty cake, speckled with walnuts.

And then I frosted it because cake.  And 2020.

But also because the spice and earthiness of the cake are complemented by the rich sweetness and subtle tang of the frosting.  Together, it’s pretty much the perfect bite – the tender chew of the cake, the snap of the walnuts, the luxurious creaminess of the frosting.

My mouth is watering.  Better grab a piece before it’s all gone.

Root Vegetable Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Laura
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 18 pieces 1x

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Ingredients

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Cake

2 ¼ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup maple sugar

4 large eggs

1 ¼ cups olive oil

4 cups shredded root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets

1 cup toasted walnuts

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder

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Instructions

Make the cake.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Oil a 9 by 13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom.  Once the batter is combined, stir in the root vegetables and walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely in the pan before frosting.

Make the frosting.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until combined and lightened in texture.  I recommend doing this with a hand or stand mixer.  Beat in the maple syrup, followed by the vanilla bean.

Spoon onto the cake, spread into an even layer, and serve!  Cake may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Alice Medrich via Food52

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour