Carob Snack Cake with Tahini Maple Frosting

I made a snack cake and did so for a couple reasons. The first reason is cake and the mr loves him some snack cake so you know. Secondly is what else is there to do when you are basically suck inside because it is so cold that if you leave the house for more then15 minutes you are risking frost bite. (Ok so I have been going for my morning runs in the -20 degrees but that is different because I am running and getting relay hot. Once I come back I stay back.) It only makes sense to have the oven going for both reasons and who doesn’t want to get down with baked goods all winter.

Flavor wise, this snack cake is carob, not chocolate, although it looks like it. If you have never eaten carob it tastes somewhat chocolaty but way more fruity, less bitter, more sweet, more nutty. It is just really good. And it pairs really well with maple and tahini so that is the frosting situation. A cake of good flavors that is easy to throw together and you get to enjoy the residual heat from the oven…It is a no brainer. Basically what I am saying it that you should be making this cake. It only makes sense.

Now to the snack cake!

The stuff. Carob powder, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, oil, boiling water, vanilla extract, sugar, vinegar , tahini, and maple syrup.

Make the cake batter. Mix dry ingredients into a big bowl then in a separate bowl mix the oil, sugar, carob, vanilla. vinegar and boiling water together until completely incorporated. Dump the wet mixture into the dry and mix until incorporated.

Pour batter into a well greased and lined cake pan and pop into the oven to bake.

And baked it gets. Pop it out of the cake pan and place on wire rack to cool.

Now make maple tahini frosting. Just wish the two ingredients together with a fork and a splash or two of hot water until completely combined and creamy like frosting.

And frost cooled cake.

And for good measure add a sprinkle of sea solt and some sprinkles because why not.

And now you eat it because that is why you made the cake.

-c

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Carob Snack Cake with tahini Maple Frosting

makes one 10 inch round

• 1 1/2 all purple flour

• 1/2 cup carob powder

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup oil

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 3 teaspoons maple syrup

• sea salt and sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Grab a big mixing bowl and add in the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt and mix together. In separate bowl mix the carob, sugar, vanilla, vinegar, oil, and boil water together until completely incorporated and the sugar and carob start to dissolve. Pour wet mixture into dry and whisk until just incorporated. Pour batter into a well greased and parchment lined 10 inch round baking pan. (or a pan of similar size)

Place cake into oven and bake for 25-28 minutes , checking at 25 with a cake tester to see if it comes out clean.

Once baked, remove from oven, let cool for a minute in the pan, then pop out and finish cooling it on a wire rack.

To make the maple tahini frosting simply take the two ingredients and whisk them together with a tablespoon of hot water in a bowl with a fork until creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add in another splash of hot water. The consistency should be a bit thinner then actually frosting, more like a thick glaze.

Once cake has cool frost it. Sprinkle top with a pinch of sea salt and add some sprinkles, if you want.

Then eat.

Left overs can be stored in airtight container for 5-7 days at room temperature.

Carob Covered Rice Cakes

 I remember long ago, when I was just a little, my mom would take me to the health food store with her to get whatever new fancy snack that she was obsessed with or to stock up on way to expensive jams and her very specific boxes of teas that she could not find anywhere else. Those were the days (when mom was buying the groceries) And I loved going to the store with here because well, bulk bins! Oh the bulk section, it had all the best stuff like sesame sticks and granola chunks.  It was a free for all,, grabbing a piece dried mango here or a handful of almonds there. (don't judge, I as just a sweet little little, I don't do that anymore...often)   This store had a pretty impressive bulk section and includedtwo bins of carob covered rice cakes. One was plain, one was mint, both freaking delicious. Up until the first time I ate one of those rice cakes I had no clue what carob was or that those rice cakes were not chocolate. I just remember that they were super tasty and that my mom always got one for me.  She wold buy a dozen and I might have gotten to eat another one of those too.  I loved those rice cakes.

I haven't seen a carob covered rice cake in years.  I think that they stopped carrying them or maybe it's because the store has changed a lot and I don't often go there anymore, but either way, it's been a while. So anyway, last week I spur of the moment bought a package of (unsalted plain) rice cakes, then realized that the mr wasn't to into rice cakes anymore (there was a long period of time where I made him peanut butter banana rice cakes for lunch everyday). But I bought them and they need to be eaten, and that's when it came to me.. Make the carob covered rice cakes from the old days. Something new and different for the mr and something super nostalgic for me.

And it helped that it has been way to freakin deakin hot and all the things that I have been wanting to bake (cherry pie, rhubarb cake, food in general) just wasn't happening. . But these sweet treats take 2 minutes to make and require no heat whatsoever (my coconut was already melted.) Can you really ask for more?

The stuff. Carob powder, coconut oil and rice cakes. I should have stuck the sea salt in the picture, but it is kind of optional..

Simple as can be. Th oil and carob powder get combined in a bowl of some kind.

Mixed together until silky smooth and BLING BLING shiny.

Rice cakes all ready to get decked out ( doing this on wax paper to make life much easier)

Smothered with the carob all over. You can do one side at a time, sticking it into the freezer to set for a minute or just get a little messy and do it all at once. Up to you. But wither way, it need to go in the freezer for just a few minute to get hard.

And right before you stick them in the freezer, sprinkled with sea salt.

Uh huh.. Looking good. And taste ever better then I remembered. (it's the salt. Salt makes everything better)

-C

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Carob Covered Rice cakes

Makes 2 (why make only 1)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 heaping tablespoons carob powder
• 2 plain rice cakes
• Sea salt

In a bowl mix together melted coconut oil with the carob powder until a smooth and shinny consistency. With a spatula, smother the top and the sides of the rice cakes with the mixture. Place on wax wax paper, un-carobed bottom down, and stick in freezer for a few minutes until carob has harden. Remove, flip, and smother remaining side. (you can do both sided at once, but it's a little messier) Sprinkle salt on now and back into freezer until hard. Remove and eat.

Note. If you make two and have one left over for late, keep it in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. It will melt just like chocolate.

Black Bean Carob Brownies WHAT!

Don't let the fact that these rich, fudgy, soft, oh so yummy brownies that  have beans in them scare you away, it just means that you can eat more, you know, like half a pan, and not think twice about it. (I think that is perfectly acceptable) And the carob. Well one of the things I always do for my birthday is to buy a new ingredient of some sort that I wouldn't normally buy because it's either too expensive or is hard to find. Carob is neither too expensive or hard to find, but I couldn't find the really expensive stuff that I was looking for so I grabbed a bag of carob powder.  If you have never tried carob, it's a must. It's kind of like chocolate, but more fruity, sweet, not bitter, and caffeine free, while still  containing  all the good health benefits as chocolate.  It's really good…..you will like it. (You can use cocoa instead, but then you are going to miss out on the awesomeness of carob and be left with a plain old normal black bean brownie)

I was also thinking that these would make for a fantastic Super Bowl party snack, you know, brownies and protein.. Sounds like a football type of food right. ( I know nothing of football, but I do know about food parties….brownies are good for food parties) 

Anyways, super fast, super simple, super easy. Make these and feel awesome.  And maybe don't tell people that you made them with beans, they don't need to know, all they will think is that they are eating something good.  

One bowl. Beans, oil, oats, baking powder carob and vanilla. I used an emulsion blender but a blender or a food processor does the same…..blend together until fully incorporated, smooth and creamy with little speckles of oats. It's so simple and barely a mess to be made.

Into a greases pan and  into the oven for 25- 30 minutes…. Out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean

Let cool for at least 10 minutes (ok, maybe 5) and cut into squares of  any size you like.

Stacked on parchment….oh so pretty

Ready to go….. To share or to hoard. 

Excellent for so many reasons. They are tasty, gluten-free, vegan, full of proteins and when consumed, make people happy. My little nephew who is so so picky and doesn't like anything even really liked these so right there I knew this recipes was a winner.  

Enjoy your brownies! 

-C

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Black Bean Carob Brownies

• 2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)
• 3/4 carob powder
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 3/4 cup gluten-free quick oats or rolled oats
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking power

Preheat oven to 375

Place all ingredients in either a food processor, blender, or a large bowl for a hand blender and blend together until  stuff is fully incorporated and smooth. Transfer into a well greases 9x9 baking pan and stick in over for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick  stuck in the middle comes out clean. 

Let cool for some  minutes, cut into squares and serve!