What I have been doing with my Door to Door Organics Box....

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote about my Door to Door Organics box. I've been pondering on my approach with this and have decided that I would pick a couple of interesting recipes and feature them instead of listing each and every things we eat with the produce from our box.  Truth be told, I make a lot of the same type of things over and over changing out the ingredients with whatever produce I get in my box that week.  I think it's going to get pretty boring if I continue listing everything we ate for the week, no?  If there is something that you are just dying to know what I did with, send me a note! 

So, this week I have two cakes (yes, cakes!), both made with whole wheat flour, vegetables, and frosted with the best vanilla frosting ever.  And they are both really good.

The first cake is made with beets and tastes like a really moist spice cake.  You cannot taste the beets at all (unless you roast and puree them first, which I have done and actually enjoyed).  I took these to Bible study the other night and everyone loved them. I've taken them to Pilates class, made them for friends, dinner parties - good reviews all the way around.  Even the people who have never eaten beets before like it!  This is based on Tyler Florence's recipe from Dinner at My Place.  I made all my usual adjustments with the refined ingredients and you really would never know.  It's very moist and light.  Then there's frosting.  Oh how I love the frosting.  It's such an interesting recipe modified from the version in Babycakes.  I call it vanilla, but by the time I'm done with it, it's probably more coconut-y.  That is because I use coconut milk, coconut oil and coconut flour.  Don't be afraid if you do not like coconut.  A.  You can forgo the coconut milk for another type of milk (soy, almond, cow, etc.) and B.  Maybe it's time you started liking coconut!  This frosting may be your gateway to converting you.

The second cake recipe is a whole wheat chocolate cake with zucchini.  This was EJ's birthday cake last week....three times.  His birthday was on Thursday and we had to take cupcakes to daycare.  Then that night we had an impromtu celebration with my brother and his family, my mom, and my grandma.  Finally, on Saturday we had the "real" party, which was just the same people along with my sister and niece.  All three parties I made this cake.  I wasn't really planning to do that, but it was so good on Thursday that everyone begged for an encore on Saturday.  So, I made it again.  I did not allow enough time for the frosting to set on Saturday, though, so I ended up with a vanilla sauce spread between the layers, as well as, poured over the top.  Judging from the picture, it would not win any beauty contests, but I promise you it would win taste contests!  In fact, it's so good that my brother wants me to make it for his wedding!  I thought I had found the perfect chocolate cake with Heidi Swanson's Basic Chocolate Cake.  Now I'm confused.  I think I am just going to have to make them both and have a side by side comparison to settle this!

Hope you enjoy these cake recipes as much as we do.  I will be traveling for work next week, so I'm likely going to skip my DTD box.  I am planning to make as much out of my hotel room as I can, though, so I think I might have some interesting things for you!  I never stop!

Whole Wheat Beet Cake with Vanilla Frosting
This is adapted from Tyler Florence's version in Dinner at my Place.  I replaced the AP flour with whole wheat, replaced the sugar with palm sugar, etc.  He tops them with a greek yogurt sauce, but I go for the Vanilla Frosting.  I make these in little 3 inch square pans to make individual cakes.  You can easily make cupcakes instead or use an 8x8 cake (square or 8 inch round).  Just adjust the baking time accordingly.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, preferrably freshly ground (use whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat, if not)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses or yacon syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup palm sugar
1 1/4 cup peeled, grated beets (about 2 beets)
1/2 recipe Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease pans or muffin tins for cupcakes. 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk together molasses, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and sugar.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until completely combined.  Fold in the beets.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 20-25 minutes or until baked through (test with toothpick).  Cool completely, remove from pans, and frost.

Vanilla Frosting
This is an adapted version from Babycakes by Erin McKenna.  You must let this chill for 6 hours.  I have tried freezing it to shorten that time and it doesn't work.  Look at the picture below and that is what happens after 4 hours in the freezer.  Two hours later, I had frosting.  Do note that this makes a delicious vanilla sauce that can be used in all kinds of desserts.  You can leave it at room temperature instead of chilling if you want sauce.  This does make a lot of frosting and I find that half of a recipe is enough for one cake.  I like to make the full recipe, though, to just have it around for another cake or cookie sandwiches or eating it by the spoon...

1 can coconut milk
3/4 cup vanilla protein powder (I like Jay Robb Whey.  Any vanilla protein powder will work)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 cup palm sugar (raw honey, agave, or pure maple syrup would work)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a blender or food processer, add the coconut milk, protein powder, coconut flour, honey, and vanilla. Blend for 2 minutes. With the machine running, alternate additions of the coconut oil and lemon juice. Process until they are thoroughly combined. Transfer to a medium size bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. If you are in a hurry you can freeze for about an hour, remove, and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Cake

I have made this into cupcakes, layer cakes (pictured above), and in a 9x13 pan.  All work fine.  Whole spelt flour would work in place of the wheat if you watch gluten.

2 1/4 cups whole wheat (white or pastry, preferrably freshly ground)

1/2 cup unsweetened organic cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups palm sugar
1 cup coconut oil, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (at least 65% cocao) - optional, but not really
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 recipe Vanilla Frosting (recipe is above)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan (2-8 inch cake pans or 24 cupcake pans will work. Just adjust the baking time).

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Beat sugar and coconut oil until very well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add vanilla. Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet ingredients until everything is mixed together. Fold in the zucchini. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s). Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips (save 1/2 cup for the top). Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes clean (9x13 = appx. 50 minutes; cupcakes = appx. 25 minutes; 8 inch = appx. 40 minutes).  Cool completely, remove from pans, and frost.  Top with additional chocolate chips and coconut.