Sustainable sweets using scraps from juicing

A no-waste vegan carrot cake recipe

Everything should have a use. There is no need for waste. With limiting waste in mind, I pack my kitchen with ingredients that are versatile and nutrient dense. I use my kitchen essentials to make healthy snacks and sweets at home. I shared my kitchen essentials in a previous letter:

On enlivening and befriending your plate

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I juice often, particularly in the summer when celery and pineapple are abundant. My favorite fresh juice is filled with fennel, pineapple, and mint. Year-round I juice carrots and ginger, rich in vitamin A and anti-inflammatory properties. After juicing the carrots and ginger, I save the pulp in the freezer to use for my favorite vegan carrot cake recipe. For other juices, I save the pulp for making broths. This ensures I capture all the water-soluble nutrients that is in the pulp.

Cooking and using recipes as *guides are ways I stretch and express my creativity. I never follow recipes exactly. There is always one ingredient that I do not have on hand nor want to pick up. I use what I have and creatively substitute. I offer this recipe as a guide. The vegan carrot cake can be made with various substitutions. I will share what is optional in the ingredients list.

I come back to this recipe time and time again. This week I was craving sourdough bread and vegan carrot cake. So I made both.

Knead it away

I have made several iterations of this cake based on what I have on hand—sometimes I add applesauce, sometimes raisins, sometimes neither like in the iteration I made this week. Regardless, it always tastes good and is always moist. Though, my favorite version has cornmeal and applesauce/shredded green apples.

What are you craving right now?

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