Dr. Weil’s Carrot Cake

Dr. Andrew Weil has been a favorite of mine for the past 10 years. He has written many books, of which I have two, Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. I’ve always been interested in ways to keep your body healthy by learning all about our body’s natural healing power. Part of the reason I started this blog was to let readers know about the nutritional value as well as health benefits of ingredients used in every day cooking. The following recipe is from Dr. Weil and his version of the carrot cake is a lot healthier.

2 cups firmly packed finely grated carrots
juice of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup honey, liquefied in microwave (30 seconds)
1/2 cup crushed or chopped pineapple, drained
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (to give you a bit of omega-3 fats)

Preheat oven to 180c (350f). In a mixing bowl, stir together the carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, honey and pineapple until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda and spices. Mix in the walnuts. Blend the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture, stirring until just mixed.

Pour the batter into a nonstick 8-inch-square baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and remove from pan.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: This is a super moist cake and tastes even better the next day! Enjoy this with a cup of green tea.