It’s hardly the biggest surprise of parenting, but I’ve yet to get my head around the idea that I’ve taken part in creating a morning person. My son has always woken up early; if it’s 5/5:30am, he’s on the sofa, reading a thick book, wondering why we do not care to watch the sunrise with him. Over the years, we’ve tried everything to change his wiring — lecturing, star charts, bribery, begging, asking the pediatrician to talk some sense into him [although “he wakes up early and reads chapter books!” didn’t quite have the doom-and-gloom impact we’d thought it would], prayer — and eventually, as you might have inferred from referring to it as wiring, we gave up.
When you wake up at the crack of dawn, you also require breakfast at an earlier hour than normal people, like your parents, who love to sleep. So there’s no, uh, confusion as to what is and is not a “breakfast food,” we’ve taken to packing him a breakfast and leaving it in the fridge: a hard-boiled egg, fruit, cheese, and some sort of muffin. After working my way through my own muffin archives, I realized that I was missing one of those hippie/morning glory-ish muffins that he loves, loaded with carrots and apple and dried fruit, sometimes coconut, and spices. I’ve made a few versions over the last few months, and was about to go another round when a new (out tomororw), wonderful cookbook arrived at my doorstep: Yossy Arefi’s Snacking Cakes.
I probably don’t need to tell you that the idea of a snacking cake is firmly within the SK wheelhouse — I think cakes can be an everyday, just-because-it’s-Monday thing, and lucky for us, Arefi does too. I went right for the Morning Glory Cake and wondered why I’ve been fussing with muffin liners and trying to achieve the perfect dome when pouring it all in a pan is so much easier. I’ve tweaked Arefi’s recipe to make it even more breakfast-y — I lowered the sugar and oil, just a bit, swapped in whole wheat flour, raw sugar for white, added some dried fruit as well as coconut (both nods to the original*), ginger, because I like it here, and I use some toasted, salted pepitas on top. The cake remains plush and perfect for whatever hour you call breakfast.
* Did you know that the Morning Glory muffin has an official recipe? Pam McKinstry, created them in 1978 for her restaurant on Nantucket. The recipe was first published in Gourmet in 1981, and they were wildly popular for decades.
Previously
6 months ago: How I Stock The Smitten Kitchen
1 year ago: Skillet Ravioli with Spinach
2 years ago: Candy Pork
3 years ago: Sausage and Potato Roast with Arugula and Bakery-Style Butter Cookies
4 years ago: Russian Honey Cake, Pumpkin Bread and Winter Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter
5 years ago: The Broccoli Roast and Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
6 years ago: Fall-Toush Salad and Carrot Cake with Cider and Olive Oil
7 years ago: Lazy Pizza Dough + Perfect Magherita Pizza and Apple Slab Pie
8 years ago: Pancetta, White Bean, and Swiss Chard Pot Pies and Apple Mosaic Tart with Salted Caramel
9 years ago: Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt
10 years ago: Roasted Eggplant Soup and Apple and Cheddar Scones
11 years ago: Jalapeno Cheddar Scones and Apple Cider Doughnuts
12 years ago: Beef, Leek, and Barley Soup and My Family’s Noodle Kugel
13 years ago: Arroz Con Pollo and Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
14 years ago: Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons and Wild Mushroom Galette
Morning Glory Breakfast Cake
Note: You can watch an Instagram Story demo of this recipe over here.
- 1 cup (145 grams) grated apple (from 1 7-ounce/medium-large apple)
- 1 cup (115 grams) grated carrot (from 1 thick carrot)
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) very well-drained crushed pineapple or chopped fresh pineapple
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup raisins or another dried fruit (optional)
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2/3 cup (130 grams) raw or granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (155 ml) neutral oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons toasted, salted pepitas (optional)
In a large bowl, combine apple, carrot, pineapple, coconut, dried fruit, if using, lemon zest, sugar, and oil. Add eggs, and whisk to combine. Sprinkle spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda over the batter and stir very well to combine. Add flour, and stir just until it disappears.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle pepitas over cake, if using. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Let cool in pan then carefully cut into squares with a serrated knife.
The cake is very moist and a little crumbly. I find that it keeps best in the fridge. The cake will keep for 5 to 6 days, chilled.
This looks delicious! I’d think there are very few mornings that can’t be improved by a breakfast cake.
I just bought Snacking Cakes and love it. My son and I made the berry cream cheese cake last night (for today’s breakfast) and we loved it! I am looking forward to trying this cake, too.
Any swap ideas for pineapple?
You could add some chopped fresh fruit — apple, pear, peach.
I bet you could swap applesauce for the pineapple, too.
I just made this and the texture didn’t turn out right at all. I added a little extra sugar because it was mentioned that the original used a little more and I like cake to be sweet. The cake is very coarse, like too much liquid or too much leavener, and took longer to cook through.
I make this all the time! It is different every time I make it. I make healthy muffins for my granddaughter! I put less sugar (1/2) cup and less oil (1/2 cup)
I added vanilla and omitted nuts,added a little banana and blueberries!! Lemon drizzle in top!
I subbed applesauce and it worked
Could you make these into muffins instead?
oh absolutely! I’ve never had any problems with muffins and they’re fantastic for a midday snack at work.
I have only made these as muffins. I have swapped a very ripe pear for the pineapple. My daughter swapped in a chopped orange. Both were delicious.
This cake is so delicious!
Followed the recipe added an extra 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c Walnuts.
Family have already demolished half of it within an hour of cooling.
I’ll try pear slices instead of pineapple next time for something different.
This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks so much!!
What about soaked-until-plump dried fruit like raisins, cherries, cranberries? Would that be too dry?
Laura, don’t bother soaking – the mixture is quite wet and I found the raisins absorbed the liquid.
This looks divine!! Can I use spelt flour for this??
Hi, I used 100% spelt flour and it worked well
I’m rather late to the party on this cake.
But my question is, for this and other small cakes and muffins, can you sub melted butter for some or all of the oil? I rarely have oil in the house other than olive oil.
Or how about coconut oil?
Thank, this looks great, going to make it soon!
Sandra,
I’ve used butter many times with lots of luck. I’ve tried other oils too with luck, but not coconut.
If you plan to do it as a gluten free adaptation, I strongly recommend cutting back on the oil/butter because GF grains tend to absorb fats a little less than wheat flours do. (I have more tips for GF adaptations somewhere else in the “I made this” comments tab, but if you can’t find it let me know and I’ll copy & paste here.)
Deb, do you believe this recipe could be doubled, baked, cut into squares and then frozen?
I’ve doubled the recipe before (in a 9×13 pan) and while I haven’t frozen this particular recipe, I’ve frozen MANY morning glory muffins with ease. They turn out well after thawing.
Made this recipe this morning and thought it was great. Not too sweet and I didn’t feel remotely bad about eating it for breakfast. I didn’t have any pineapple so I used extra carrots and it came out fine. The texture was perhaps a little finer because I used half AP flour and half WW pastry. Definitely a keeper!
Yummo! Any input on how to add pumpkin? Feels like it’d be perfection.
How could I use this recipe with pumpkin?? It would be amazing and perfect for Fall!
I made this and just omitted the pineapple – turned out great!
Great to know! Thanks!
I just made this and the texture didn’t turn out right at all. I added a little extra sugar because it was mentioned that the original used a little more and I like cake to be sweet. The cake is very coarse, like too much liquid or too much leavener, and took a long time to cook through.
I didn’t have any pineapple, so I just increased the grated apple and carrot (40 g of each). It came out really well! Nice and moist.
I do the same with this recipe since tinned pineapple is the one ingredient I don’t customarily have in the house. I also replace the lemon zest with the zest and juice of an orange, which seems a better citrus fit with the other ingredients, and is a good sub for the tartness of the pineapple. A very easy and delicious cake that keeps well for days.
I have swapped a very ripe pear for the pineapple. My daughter swapped in a chopped orange. Bothe wee delicious.
Deb— Can this be made into muffins? How many and what cooking time, please? Every week, I make a batch of muffins and freeze them, and then pull one out each morning for my breakfast with fruit/yogurt. I am currently working through a batch of your blue sky brand muffins. This recipe will be next! Thanks!
Morning Glory muffins are actually the original recipe; morning glory cake is a variation. Deb posted this morning glory recipe – but you can also google a million different recipes for it. https://www.earthboundfarm.com/recipes/original-morning-glory-muffins/
I think it could make 10 muffins, possibly 12. Same baking temp. They’d probably bake in 20 minutes, but best to check at 15.
I made these and they were *exactly* what I wanted. It made 12 very small muffins. Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you Deb for providing yet another winner recipe. Your site is my go to and I am never disappointed!
What kind of apple did you use? My default for buying apples is a Granny Smith but I’m guessing a “softer” apple would be better. A sweeter apple. I have always lived in the south so I’m not well versed on apples. Thanks!
I live in North Carolina and my other-than-Granny Smith go-to apple is Fuji. I use them in my Jewish Apple Cake recipe and have heard no complaints … only num-num-num … LOL.
Thanks! I actually already made this and that’s the apple I chose. It turned out perfectly!
👍👍👍
I used some mcintosh apples I had on hand and upped the apple and carrot by 40g as suggested as a sub for the pineapple. They were amazing. We also sprinkled a little sugar in the raw on top along with the pepitas. Great success!
How is it possible for you to read minds ? I love morning glory muffins and have the same kid- albeit a girl and 6 who gets up and reads and no amount of pleading to sleep in is getting us anywhere.
Sleep deprived parents of early risers unite (as we guzzle gallons of coffee)! Deb this cake looks delicious and I’m making it ASAP. I may even hoard it for myself as I did with a recent batch of your whole wheat choc chip cookies :) Can baked goods replace sleep? My kiddo has of late been sleeping in until 6:30 or even 6:45. Still painfully early for this night owl, but seems somewhat indolent compared to 5/5:30am.
Don’t worry, we’ll be falling back this weekend just in time for all of that to go out the window (insert eye roll, why is this still a thing?). I gave birth to two early risers, I’m hoping that their teen years will break them of this habit.
Three very early risers here—until adolescence/teenage years hit. Then it was impossible to get them up before noon, and their night-owlish behaviours persists! When they were still in a crib, I tied a fabric book bag (that I sewed) to the rail, and then they had books to “read” every morning, always books that they didn’t get to see the rest of the day so they were considered special! That way, we got a little more sleep each morning than they did.
Another parent of an early riser here! Finally at 6yo he can dress himself & make his own breakfast, so we win an hour. I’ll take what I can get. This cake would be a great reward for him if he gives us extra time on the weekends!
I hope you get a kick out of this… a few weeks ago I was on here to see if you had a morning glory muffin recipe. Instead I saw your carrot cake with cider and olive oil so I turned that into muffins and added apples, pepitas, oats, the works (it was incredible) and now this shows up? You’re like my fairy godmother, Deb!! Haha I will certainly be making this soon.
And I was here a few weeks ago looking for another bar-type recipe to pack as a snack for my kindergarteners. I kept thinking something with carrot and apple would be great, and now this recipe showed up! Fingers crossed the kids like it.
You don’t have to peel the fruits and veggies?!? Hallelujah! This looks awesome (perfect for stress eating for the next week or so)!
Your son sounds like a very bright child :) isn’t it great once they can read and help themselves to breakfast? ;)
I’m with you in solidarity on the early riser thing. We have tried everything and our two-year-old just doesn’t like to sleep past the crack of dawn. How do you get your son to read early in the morning? That sounds like a win to me!
Our family isn’t a fan of coconut in baked goods. Could I just skip it, or should we swapping it out for other chopped nuts?
I was just about to ask the same question! We have a coconut allergy in the family.
Looks like the original recipe has pecans….you could use those instead.
Same question about coconut substitution/omission. Can it just be left out? We have a nut and coconut allergy situation.
Yum! This is just what I was looking for to help ward off the morning hangries!
Do you have a link for your grater? I have been looking for one that hooks over the edge instead of having to be dropped down into the bowl to use. Most hand graters are flat, which is fine for light stuff like spices, but when wrestling with larger items like carrots it would be great to have that lip for stabilization.
Thanks, Deb!
Yes, I have this one, although it’s not currently available. I use it for small amounts of grated stuff.
Thanks, Deb! I’ll put it on my wish list and maybe it’ll make a come back. :)
I have this grater from Rosle. Love it.
Ooh, this might do the trick! Thanks!
Looks delish but I can’t help focusing on the fact that you cut an 8” cake into 12 pieces making each serving a 2” square. I have to say, I envy your restraint! I can never seem to get more than 9 pieces and sometimes 8 out of this size cake. Especially if it was breakfast (maybe if I was serving fruit, cheese and a hard boiled egg I’d feel differently). I am happy to see this recipe however, because morning glory muffins are a long time fave around here. Thanks!
As the superlark of my family I’ve never been able to change my early-rising ways but the quiet sunrises have made up for the inconvenience. Now if I could just get someone to leave some cake in the fridge for me….
I was that early rising, reading kid, who wondered why no one else wanted to watch the sunrise with me.
My grandmother taught me to make pancakes when I was 8, so on Saturdays, at least, my early rising paid off.
This cake looks tempting.
I have rye flour I need to use. Could I use a combo of whole wheat and rye flour? Thank you.
I think it should work just fine.
I wish I would wake up at 5 to read books:) The recipe sounds lovely. Do you have any tips on how to replace pineapple in the recipe?
Never mind, now the post does show me the comment section and I see my question had been asked already!
Deb, looks amazing! Making ASAP. What brand of whole wheat flour do you use.
In these pandemic times, whatever I can get. :) I’ve been using all sorts of brands since March, but currently, King Arthur. It’s grainy but smooth.
Maybe other people already know this but if you’re not someone who uses whole wheat flour every week, keep it in the freezer. I find it definitely gets musty sooner. I use it pretty often and still find the 5# bags to often … lose quality before I can get through them.
I recall reading long ago that for baking, fresh pineapple should not be used–only canned. (It had something to do with enzymes?) Or does that apply only to majorly pineapple-y items, such as upside-down cake? Or maybe it isn’t true at all.
You can’t use fresh pineapple with gelatin (or it won’t set) but it’s fine in baked goods.
The fresh pineapple restriction doesn’t apply to baking, but it can’t be used in gelatin recipes because the enzymes stop the gelling process. In canned pineapple these enzymes have been deactivated by being heated. Fresh pineapple is lovely for baked goods! Yum!
The cake looks wonderful! I am a turn the muffin/cupcake into and 8×8 cake person for various reasons … mainly, I no longer have a muffin/cupcake pan and don’t really want one :)
I am also an early to bed/early to rise person, but my entire family was also so no mixed timetable issues … except, I have always been a “middle of the night” get up and look/go outside person. My mother loves to tell that I would be all excited to tell how the moon looked when the big hand was on 12 and the little hand was on 2. To this day (I am now 65), I often wake in the 2:00 a.m. vicinity, get up and look out … sometimes go out for a look (I live in NW Montana on rural acreage) and if my dog gets up, we go out together for a quick breath of night air, a gander at the night sky and the dog stuff for the dog :).
I love this story. I’m also a night sky lover!
Made this as soon as you posted it! Followed the recipe using the weights you provided and it is AMAZING. The spice level and sweetness level are spot on- so flavorful and moist- wouldn’t change a thing! This is a keeper ❤️
My mom’s carrot cake recipe is similar to this. It’s been a family favorite since I can remember. My dad requests it for his birthday every year. One weekend, I was home from college helping my mom make it, and on a whim, we decided to add a minced jalapeño to the batter. It was amazing! We then decided to glaze it with melted pepper jelly. Holy cow! This became the new tradition, and a few years ago, my mom made this in cupcake form for my wedding!! Seriously. My favorite cake ever!
That sounds insanely good. Would you share the recipe online and post a link, please?
Oh, yeah, I’ll be making this at the first available opportunity. I freaking love morning glory muffins, but I hate making actual muffins – a cake is perfect. We’re gluten free, so I’ll make a GF version and let you know how it goes.
My sympathies, I have a 9yo early riser, who also loves chapter books and has questionable ideas for what constitutes breakfast food. She’ll love this cake too.
Oh yes please! If you use gluten free flour, let us know how it comes out, and which one you used, please. I have to be gluten free, so I always check the comments to see if anyone tried it.
This looks delicious and so healthy and I love the spices combination. A great solution to just needing a little something to have with a cuppa for morning tea as well, or even brunch. Love it, thanks sk. Best wishes, Pauline
Any chance you could sub honey or maple syrup for the sugar? And if so how much Would love to make These for my toddler
Hi, I omitted sugar and did 1/3c maple syrup and 1/3c coconut sugar, and it worked well. I’m confident 100% maple syrup sub would work too.
This is insanely delicious. I did have a problem or two, however. I couldn’t get a cup of grated apple or carrot out of the single apple or 3 carrots, so added another apple. That may have led to my other problem. While the cake was cooked through ( clean toothpick), it wasn’t solid. Shook like a bowl full of calls foot jelly. It’s the fridge now and we’ll see how it looks tomorrow.
Also I always substitute Chinese Five Spice for cinnamon, and the star anise, fennel and black pepper just LIT UP the flavor palette!
I think next time I’ll just grate one Fuji apple and drain the pineapple better, and maybe add an additional quarter cup of King Arthur whole wheat flour. But the flavor and coarse texture of this cake are outstanding. Thank you, Deb!
I omitted the coconut and thought I would add some oats…turns out I didn’t have any. So, I just upped the flour a bit. Super yum. Mine took a bit longer to cook than the 35 mins. I love that this isn’t super sweet, can’t wait to have it with coffee in the morning.
This looks delicious! I’m all for cake for breakfast. On the topic of early rising children, my son was one of those–and then he hit puberty. You may yet have a teenager who needs to sleep in. Cheers!
Inspired me this morning! Just threw one together and added some hemp and sunflower seeds since I had no pepitas today. Thank you for the inspiration!
Do you think you would use honey or maple syrup as a sweetener and if so how much? And how about coconut oil or avocado oil? Are those neutral? I love morning glory muffins. The cake idea is smart. Thanks!
And I’m sorry I asked Almost the same exact question Lauren did above. Obviously I didn’t read first!
I think either oil and a 1:1 swap for the sweetener should work. Coconut isn’t neutral but it doesn’t matter if you want the subtle flavor here.
I’m that guy! Lol. Currently unemployed due to COVID and still out of bed at 5. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the cookbook!!
I love cakes for breakfast! Will definitely make this because I agree: why fiddle with muffins when you could pour it all in a pan?! Also I make a shoofly cake for breakfast sometimes because it’s easier than pie.
Could I make these with almond flour?
Hi Deb,
Love your site. Might you consider posting nutritional count in future recipes? I’d love to be able to put these into my daily calorie count easily.
Mary Louise
I counted the grams and used the whole Foods morning glory muffins for an approximate calorie count on Noom. About a tablespoon was about 45 calories.
I’m firmly in the early morning bird riser camp but my advantage is that my entire family is ~ my mother, my uncles ~ we all rise before dawn and go to sleep early. For me it’s been over 50 years this way so good luck with changing the wiring on your son!
As for the Morning Glory muffins from Gourmet in 1981 ~ let me tell you they were a game changer. So damn good. Can’t wait to make the updated version of this snacking cake ~ thanks so much!
Yummmyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my town, I would go to a bakery to get Morning glory muffins!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for my own recipe now!
Hi Deb! This looks incredible. Do the baking temp and/or time change if the 8×8 baking pan is glass vs. dark?
I sometimes will bake a cake at 25 degrees less if in glass, but it may not be necessary here.
What do you consider the best “neutral” oil is?
I don’t know about best, but I often use a high-heat friendly safflower or sunflower oil.
Can make this with melted butter instead of oil as I’m not keen on oil in cakes?
Usually swapping in butter can make a slightly denser mouthfeel for cakes eaten at room temperature, but with all the mix-ins I bet this cake could handle it.
I cannot wait to make this. Also as a fellow morning person who is usually ready to move onto lunch by the time my parents are eating breakfast, the idea that you pack your son a breakfast just warms my heart!
Turned out great, family loved it! Very moist and flavorful. Good tip on keeping in the fridge overnight.
I think next time, I’ll use less sugar, it was definitely on the sweet side for me!
Just wait until he is a teenager – noon will be the new 5 am!
This snacking cake sounds really interesting. What are the nutrition numbers (e.g., calories, protein, etc.)?
Anyone try making this using ripe banana in place of sugar and applesauce instead of oil yet? I may give that a try tonight.
Made it! Swapped out the oil and eggs and sugar for: 2 very ripe bananas mashed with 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, 3 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp date syrup (whisk until the bananas are liquefied). Also swapped the coconut for old fashioned oats (same weight). It is very dense and moist, but delicious! I might add chopped dates next time. According to my app, each square of my version (I got nine out of the pan) is 153 calories.
I so appreciate this swap information. I have a pretty relentless sweet tooth, even after morning meals. This would satisfy that urge with something more healthy to go with my coffee. I would even feel okay eating this as a later evening snack instead of something else.
Yay! Morning Glory breads/muffins normally include walnuts or pecans and I never know what to substitute for the volume (allergic). The coconut and pepitas are a great option.
I just made this and it’s yummy! I’m eating a slice now. It seems very customizable. I didn’t have pineapple, so I added extra apple instead. I used toasted pecans instead of the dried fruit. So good!
I love your use of the word “plush” for cakes–you do that fairly frequently, and it’s perfect for describing the kind of texture you want! BTW, I push people relentlessly to your website. Made your fabulous carrot-chickpea-pistachio salad for a big do this past Saturday and when I was asked for the recipe just directed my questioner to your site. I’m including it with my changes in a cookbook of my own, giving you full credit, of course. (I don’t roast the chickpeas, for one thing.) Even my sons likes that salad. I think I’ll make this cake for breakfast tomorrow.
I laughed when I saw this!
I made morning glory muffins last week for the first time in probably 20 years!
Bathrooms getting renovated. Need something to keep the tradespeople happy and motivated!
Morning glory cake *is* a better idea.
Thanks!
I made this as muffins – I just ate one fresh out of the oven and the flavor is delicious and exactly what I was craving after seeing this recipe! I buttered the muffin tin, but I highly recommend using parchment or cups because they still stuck. My oven tends to run hot, so I started checking around 15 min – they were done in about 15. The recipe is a keeper – will definitely make next as a cake!
Sorry – meant to say they were done in about 18 minutes.
You described our household so well – I read excerpts of the first few paragraphs aloud and my early riser asked, “Did you write that?” He’s been known to help himself to icebox cake for breakfast while we were all still in bed… this would be a healthier breakfast option and perhaps nearly as tasty. We both like the idea of baking it as a cake. Plus it’s easier to wash an 8 x 8 pan than a muffin tin, he noted (from experience). We’ll be making it soon. Thank you.
Can you use pre shredded packaged carrots (from a bag) instead of grating your own? I already have them at home.
This is amazing! I missed the “no peeling needed” comment- so peeled my carrot and apple. Used canned pineapple chunks and chopped them and drained well. Upon tasting I would never have guessed whole wheat flour! Truly delicious! Thank you!
OMG. Very little of this cake is going to make it to tomorrow morning.
I whirred the apple and carrot through the food processor shred attachment. Easy peasy.
I love the suggestion of adding pecans. That’s going to make it even more irresistible so help me.
This looks delicious!
These were the perfect treat for my adult sensibilities. They look like autumn, feel slightly more nutritious the some recipes, and my 5 year old loved them, too. I added walnuts and a little more cinnamon since I was out of ginger. I recommend keeping the pepitas; they toast nicely and add a rich flavor.
I didn’t have any pineapple, but used mango instead- I think it would be better served by the pineapple. Delicious muffin in a pan.
I’m excited to try this version, Deb! I recently tried a Morning Glory quick bread/loaf cake recipe, and was underwhelmed…I wanted to toast it like your zucchini bread, but it falls apart, and was a little less sweet than I’d have preferred. Your version sounds like an improvement!
I made this tonight! I love morning glory muffins and had most ingredients on hand. Maybe my apple and carrot were especially large but the batter seemed very wet so I added a bit more flour and had to use 2 8×8 pans. The cake was delicious!
Changes I made: no lemon or cardamom, I subbed walnuts for pepitas.
Swaps/alterations mostly to work with what was in the house: pumpkin puree instead of pineapple, almost twice the amount of carrot, pecans instead of coconut/pepitas, currants instead of raisins. I also did a bit of oat flour to finish up a bag, and then the rest whole wheat. I also took the sugar down to 100g because I almost always prefer things less sweet, even when they’re already not very sweet! This just came out of the oven and I couldn’t resist digging out a square still warm :-) It turned out great! Given all my modifications, I agree that this is likely an extremely forgiving recipe where you can swap in and out – use it as a canvas for your breakfast cake dreams!
oooh, pumpkin puree instead of pineapple sounds like my kind of swap. and doubling the carrots. and decreasing sugar. thanks for the heads up that all of this works!
i made this too, but i lowered the sugar to 1/3 of a cup and was happy with the sweetness level for the morning. i measured out 100g of sugar based on previous comment and then put it in a cup measure just to see. it was over 1/3 by a bit so i just decided to go with the 1/3 as experiment. probably about 70 g.
If your son is younger than a teenager, his rising habits might change! As a child I used to be a very early riser, I’d wake up at 6 and read encyclopaedias on the living room floor until people woke up/got back from their morning walks, but once I hit puberty I ended up waking at 7 or so. Now I’m the one who needs waking up, and my parents are the early risers. I’d still consider myself a morning person because I’m still sharper at that end of the day, but I need a half hour in bed drinking tea and reading a book before I feel “awake.”
I’m very curious to try this recipe – I’ve only had a few carrot cakes in my life since I have a nut allergy and most of them are off limits. Thank you for all of your lovely recipes!
I made it this morning and bottom line: TRY THIS. NOW. GO.
I don’t improv, I stick to recipes, but this time around, because I don’t have a square pan, I made it into 12 muffins. I only had half a lemon at the back of my fridge, so I used less lemon zest. I also ran out of sugar while doing it so only used 100gr or maybe less, and skipped the raisins. Still, perfection. Thank you!
Can you make this with AP flour? I live outside of the US and wholewheat is not available at times
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks!!!
Hi Deb and all! I’m allergic to apples/pears/plums/etc – would you recommend substituting the apple with more carrot or more pineapple? Thank you!
You could use more carrot, use zucchini, or any hard grated fruit you can eat.
Looks great! We will be trying it out this weekend
I can relate about having a child who is an early riser . . . My 8 year old likes to wake up at 5:30am.
I made this and its amazing!! I didn’t add the coconut because I wasn’t feeling it, I double the spices because I like a lot of spice and I used brown sugar but those were the only changes I made and it was fabulous! Will stay in the rotation for sure!
Added pecan bits (about 1/4 cup) instead of raisins and substituted the granulated sugar with a heaping 1/3C of light brown. Took the salt down to 1/4 tsp as well. Turned out great!
Very nice cake. I used raisins as the optional dried fruit. Used spelt and all purpose flours and reduced sugar a little. Great texture and flavour; will definitely make again.
I made this tonight – it’s very moist and tasty. Another time I would definitely add less oil as it’s quite oily to touch and was left with an oily feeling in my mouth. I used a lot less sugar than in recipe and was glad I did as it was plenty sweet enough with the pineapple, apple and dried fruit. I think I’d prefer more spices as well to add more flavour
A good cake (or muffins) to make with a few tweaks next time
I agree about the oil. I made it yesterday and I told my sister, who is making it today, to try half cup of oil.
Thank you! I had this question and you’ve answered it for me — I lower sugar (almost always) and had planned to deduce the oil as well.
Yumm. I made this sort of today. At least it inspired my efforts. I used half grated apples and half carrots. Didn’t have pineapple, but in looking thru the cupboards for it I found 8 cans of way out of date food to toss. Do ya think 2012 would be too old? But I added in 1/2 cup yellow raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
And oh yes I doubled it to make a 9×13” .
Hi Deb
Any suggestions for flours to use that are gluten free? I have the king Arthur 1:1 but is there a mixture or another one that might be a better like buckwheat, spelt or almond flour? I SO love morning glory muffins but sadly have to avoid gluten right now.
Thanks so much—longtime follower and have made so many of your recipes over the past 10 years from your blog. they’re always fantastic.
Nobody has reported back yet with how it went for them but my hunch is that whatever your go-to 1:1 flour is will work; this cake seems forgiving and flexible.
To Deb (& whoever’s tried the recipe) – what’s the crumb like? Is it firm, is it moist, etc? I want to try making a GF version but I usually use almond/starch-based blends instead of 1:1 mixes.
Very very moist and somewhat loose. It might be a struggle with just an almond flour to hold together — maybe an extra egg will help?
Haven’t read all the comments, but I tried my go-to GF substitution of 1/3 almond flour, 1/3 oat flour & 1/3 1-1 GF flour (by weight) and it’s not ideal texture – it’s done and tastes great but is extremely moist, almost sticky toffee pudding-like. I think an issue is too much oil for the almond flour. I will try again with more tweaks after doing some research on oil /almond flour ratios in something like this.
Nadia,
Here’s my tips that I posted elsewhere.
I’ve used a bunch of flours and here’s my fav mix for GF for this recipe plus tips.
– 60 grams each of oat & almond flours and bobs red mill GF baking cup for cup (NOT their regular one, the one that comes in a blue bag)
– ½ tsp xanthan gum
– less sugar (not sure how much, still figuring that out)
– 1/3 cup of oil & 1/3 cup of apple sauce or pumpkin puree to help prevent being too oily (an issue w/GF in general)
– cook at 330 for like 15 min longer (overcook it, it should be drier than with gluten)
– over-mix, mix for a couple of minutes extra
– let stand for about 15-20 min before one last stir and pouring into the pan
I lowered sugar to 90g (from 130g in recipe) and think it’s still a bit too sweet. I did use canned pineapple and white sugar and orange zest instead of lemon zest, so that might all add to the sweetness… still think I might go for 75g next time.
I made this GF – I used the Bob’s Red Mill in the blue bag. Turned out great.
Ditto!! Bob’s 1:1 blue bag. I just ate one corner square right outta oven and its amazing! About to go back for more.
I did cook it about 10 min longer as it wasnt quite done. I prolly should have been more aggressive about draining the pineapple. Also, I couldnt find the dried cranberries I **knew** I had LOL — those are always helpful in slightly-too-moist batters.
Somehow, yet again, you have responded to the collective consciousness by producing EXACTLY the recipe I was longing for, EXACTLY when I wanted it. This leaves me feeling somewhere between creeped out and delightedly connected. Like you and other commenters here, I’ve been craving morning glory muffins for a while but in a less traditional form. A Bon Appetit recipe for breakfast cookies came across my inbox again and I almost made it. Yet I find making muffins and cookies somewhat annoying – too much fuss to scoop, separate, portion, and (let’s face it) clean up the kitchen gear. One bowl, one pan, and a box grater? Now that’s more like it. I lacked pineapple and was going to sub a pear but ended up finding the pear still sitting on the block when the pan went in the oven. Oh well. The result is perfect and not too crumbly! Thanks for rescuing me from my cravings with a yummy new breakfast treat.
Could this be doubled and baked in a Bundt pan Deb???? Thank you!
Can we replace sugar with honey? To make it healthier?
Yes, it should work fine.
If anyone’s curious about a vegan version, I made these with flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax + 6 tablespoons water) and another time with aquafaba (6 tablespoons) and both worked great.
Thanks!! Trying aquafaba with it this time.
Deb,
I love your recipes, yiur cookbooks, your blog, and hearing about your children. I don’t Love that you link your books read to Amazon. Don’t you have a local bookstore who would fill any order your readers might want to make? Being an independent bookstore owner in Arizona, juggling to stay afloat, it is so important that people shop locally and stop sending their book business to Amazon. I would think after your book tours that you would be sympathetic and understand the need to support our stores.
Hi Gayle — I totally understand where you’re coming from. I, too, try not to buy too much from Amazon, and especially books. I struggle with finding a one-stop alternative for a single book link. How do you feel about Bookshop.org? I heard mixed things from other independent store owners. What I hope/suspect is that many people turn to Amazon for quick previews and reviews, and then they shop at the stores they’d rather see in their neighborhoods.
This was a great easy cake for fall! I omitted the coconut, as my family doesn’t like it. I didn’t have any cardamom so I used a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. I made a simple cream cheese frosting instead of using the pepitas. It went together so easily. No mixer required. The flavors were so bright and perfect for this cold, rainy weather we are having in the Midwest. Thanks Deb!
I made these as per recipe, only reducing the sugar to 1/2 cup. I used about 75% ww flour and 25% ap flour – It is soo delicious! Will definitely make this a regular thing!
I really want to make this tomorrow, but I don’t have access to, or even like, pineapple. Any substitution suggestion or if I omit it, will that mess up the moisture level? Thanks!
Add another chopped fruit, like apple or pear.
Thank you. So sorry, Deb, didn’t read the comments before I commented! I just cut the pineapple. I didn’t have nuts, but I use some sesame seeds on top and change the raisins to dried cherries. So delicious! I would cut the sugar to 1/3 cup next time, but was quick easy and delicious, totally a keeper.
What a great idea for those early starts – these will be awesome for the early morning bus runs, and getting to school on time!
I baked this recipe in my small cast iron pan because that’s the way I roll these days (approximately a 1/2 recipe in my 8″/20.3 cm pan…other 1/2 of the batter is in the freezer for another day). It baked in about 17 minutes and came out beautifully: really nicely balanced spices, just the right hint of sweetness for breakfast. I didn’t have pineapple, so I mashed up bananas and subbed those in. Just lovely. Deb knocks it out of the park once again!
Did you half and half the flour here? I see both flours in the picture but then it just says regular or WW in the recipe. Apologize if someone already asked, I searched through but might have missed it!
The day I photographed it, I half-and-halfed the flour. But I made it again all whole wheat and actually preferred it.
I made this today. Wow! It is really delicious. I used the pecans instead of the coconut, but I would try the coconut next time. Arbiter of all baked goods (husband) loves it. I wonder if I could drop the sugar even a smidge more? Wouldn’t go below 1/2 cup, but maybe somewhere between 2/3rds and 1/2? Also, someone said they made this in a cast iron pan. I like that idea and will try it next time. Might get a nice crunchy outside. Thank you!
My estimate would be what yours is — I think you could go to 1/2 cup and still have a nice flavor, but I wouldn’t go below.
Yeeeesssssssss! This is exactly what I needed. My muffin pan got left out in the garden, and I’ve been thinking about adapting some of your muffin recipes to fit in a pan, and here you have done it for me! Thanks! (got any bran snack cakes working back there?)
Deb, I made this and it’s great (I made them vegan with ground flaxseed for egg and subbed Asian Pear for pineapple, fyi) — I just have a question about the method: I think often muffin recipes whisk the spices & baking powder in with the flour and in this recipe you sprinkle them on the liquid mixture. I’m curious about the difference. Thanks!
That’s the classic or “correct” method. But I have found in my kitchen that as long as the dry ingredients are incorporated very, very well into the wet (i.e. thoroughly well-distributed), it makes little difference and certainly not enough of one that I would dirty an extra bowl. My goal is to make recipes work for real home cooks with busy lives.
That makes good sense! Appreciate the quick response.
Perfect recipe. Toasted pepitas are essential, and I do not regret over-salting them. Also: I strained the shredded apples (+pineapple) and the moisture reduction worked for me.
Absolutely delicious! I used KA White Wheat flour and regular sugar. Used 3/4 tsp fine sea salt and reduce it to 1/2 or use kosher next time. And there will be a next time.
Made this this morning before getting to work and it was a lovely midday snack. I only had minimal amounts of carrot, apple and pineapple on hand and it still turned out beautifully. 30 minutes on the dot in my oven. The spices are perfect, the crumb is perfect. Used pecans on top instead of pepitas. Also did a half AP/half whole wheat flour mix but thinking I’d do all whole wheat next time and it would only make it even better.
I REALLY hate this new “Easy Recipe” site that I have to go to to print recipes. I go to your recipe, then click on Print Recipe and it takes me to this other site where I can never find the recipe that I just clicked on.
Please go back to printing from your site. I know, I know, everyone is using this method, but it’s cumbersome!!!
You must also try the Barefoot Contessa’s Morning Glory muffins, scrumptious!
Long time rieader, first time poster. This was deeeelicious and made everyone—kids, neighbors, me—happy. It was great for breakfast and mid-morning school snack.
Looks delicious and healthy. Hope my 3 years old daughter will love it.
Love this! Reduced sugar and oil to 1/2 cup each, and forgot the salt. Still delicious, although next time I’ll add the salt. Great for breakfast, or a mid-afternoon snack with tea!
Non-baker here, rating this recipe at an A+! I omitted the dried fruit, subbed chopped pecans and walnuts for coconut, and subbed in chopped apple for the chopped pineapple. Even with all of these substitutions, it was perfect. Bake time was more like 40 min. Still moist and fluffy!
This was absolutely delicious. It’s exactly what I wanted in the mornings as we transition to colder NYC weather. My three-year old loved it too.
Have been buying morning glory muffins at my Sunday farmer’s market so this was a perfect inspiration. On the plus side, I like the flexibility of the recipe — I had no lemon and subbed a combo of light buckwheat/oat/AP and it tasted great. I used 100 g of Demerara sugar and it was right sweetness. In terms of improvement, this wasn’t my fave recipe writing: 1. I have cardamom pods only; ground is not a basic ingredient and I messed up my coffee grinder trying to grind them. 2. It was not clear what to do with the apples which get super wet when grated. Because the pineapple was suppose to be well-drained, I squeezed the grated apple which then meant I had to use 2 instead of 1 to get the correct weight. 3. Whisking the eggs in a separate dish just works better. 4. Why an extra step to toast the pepitas? Can sprinkle raw on top and off you go. 5. It took 15 mins longer to bake than recommended.
No more kids in the house but it will make an awesome afternoon snack with my tea! Subbed dried apricots for pineapple and threw a few sunflower seeds on top!
Ooh, that’s a keeper! Thanks
This breakfast cake is delicious!
I used coconut sugar as that’s all I had and it worked great!
For those asking, you certainly don’t need to soak raisins beforehand, the batter is wet enough and does the trick!
Thank you for another tasty, crowd pleasing recipe!.
I made it as written and it tastes so good! But my cake sunk a bit in the middle. The cake was very slightly underbaked – could that be the reason?
Excellent flavour and process. Gotta love a one-bowl!
I found this took quite a bit longer than 35 minutes and even when a toothpick came out clean I still wish I had baked it longer. I did make some substitutions (grated zucchini and mashed banana instead of pineapple) which might have affected this.
I made the recipe as written, no substitutions of any kind, weighing all ingredients that had weights provided. Even though a toothpick came out clean at 32 minutes in my 350* oven, verified by two oven thermometers, the cake was raw in the middle. I made it again a few days later and baked it for 45 minutes to get it done. When I looked at the original recipe for Morning Glory Muffins and found the muffins were baked for 35 minutes I knew a cake was going to have to bake longer.
I made these today with my 2YO today and they were a big hit! We used cranberries for the dried fruit, 75% whole wheat, and 50% olive oil (ran out of vegetable oil) and they turned out great! Thank you!
This looks delicious. I’m guessing “morning glory” doesn’t have the same slang meaning in the US as in the UK though? 😁
I just made this and didn’t have any pineapple so substituted drained tinned mandarins and a squeeze of lemon. Delicious 😋
I made this in a huge pan for a clinic (3.5x) and it performed beautifully. Substituted a bag of frozen shredded zucchini from this summer’s garden baseball bats for the apples; sunflower seeds for pepitas; and white whole wheat for regular whole wheat. The whole pan won’t be making it to the clinic….we are enjoying it too much here at home!
This baked up beautifully. I am the type who now wants to add a cream cheese icing drizzle. Somebody stop me!
I’ve been making recipes from this site for years, so I expect that the things I make from here to be good because they usually are. I did not expect this cake to be THIS good. Make it now.
I was overly confident with substituting mashed banana and grated zucchini for the pineapple. Although many folks are praising the flexibility of this recipe do remember that it’s still baking! Alas, I forgot and got carried away.
The ratio of wet to dry ingredients does really matter and may leave you with an underdone cake.
And to reiterate – the flavour is still fantastic! Eating this morning with coffee.
I made Morning Glory Breakfast Cake this morning. I used all whole wheat flour and since I had no pineapple, I substituted pomegranate seeds. Absolutely delish! This will be in heavy rotation. Thanks Deb.
Could fresh ginger sub for ground? I just used all mine up on a pumpkin spice situation
I think I detected a Happy Smiley face on. the Morning GLORY BREAKFAST CAKE. Impressive photography, you make the food come alive.
Also, you helped me solve my tomorrow. What else, bake the beautiful cake and eat it.
Thanks love most of your recipes and your books.
Brilliant. Thank you. I love it when a lightbulb moment is shared
brilliant: one of our fave muffins with no muffin fussing! thank you!!!
i baked a double, for family and the landscaping crew working diligently in our yard. it was a huge hit with everyone, and will henceforth be a regular chez nous. i threw in some sunflower seeds because i had some to finish, and they’re good.
Just made this this afternoon, it was delicious! I love the natural sweetness from the apple and pineapple. Can’t wait to have it for breakfast tomorrow morning!
Yesterday, doing as usual my blog round, saw this post – and immediately went to the fridge, to check what I have for this morning cake.
Ended up substituting 3/4 of the ingredients (but staying true to proportion and general technological principle). Used 1 zucchini, 3 pitted dates, 3 california dried apricots, handful of crashed pecans, fistful of dried cranberries, grated 1.5″ fresh ginger no baked powder, no coconut, no pineapple, no sugar, no seeds – and decreased wheat flour with addition of 1/4c of oats and 1/4c of almond flour.
It came out delicious!
Thank you, Deb!
Could I double the recipe and bake it in a bundt pan? Thanks :)
Volume-wise, yes. Will it take on the shape of the pan and not stick? I’m less confident. It’s very moist/plush and a little crumbly. Good luck!
This recipe is terrific and everything it promises to be! I used all whole wheat flour, unsalted pepitas, and the optional raisins. The texture was plush and not dense; which I worried about. The flavors were best the morning after baking the afternoon prior. Absolute winner and perfectly balanced. Definitely nutritious enough for breakfast and cake enough for a treat! Delivering this to a busy and new mom of two. Another triumph :)
If you left out the coconut, should you sub in another item for texture, or can it be simply omitted and still have a successful outcome? Thx for any insights!
You can use another nut or something dry, maybe even oats.
I love those muffins, and I was so excited to see this recipe. Finally made it this morning, and it is really lovely. Thank you!
Wanting a distraction today (voting day), I made this snack cake. It is amazingly moist and flavorful. Made only a couple of substitutions (cranberries instead of raisins and walnuts instead of coconut and pepitas) because of what I had on hand, but mostly followed the recipe as written. So, so good! Make it today! Really!!
I’m engaged in a sort of arms race with my oldest son. I get up early, and he gets up a little earlier the next week. Then I set my clock earlier the week after. Then he one-ups me and gets up earlier the next. Next year I might be skipping sleeping altogether.
Wait, don’t you want to challenge each other to sleep later? :)
I’ve made this twice now. The first time I followed the recipe and loved it the second time, i didn’t have pineapple so i added prunes as both the pineapple and dried fruit substitute. Also added a Tbsp of orange zest. Lowered the sugar and oil. Great cake either way! Thanks Deb
Just made this cake, adding more apple and carrot in place of pineapple. Omitted coconut but used coconut oil. As per reviews, I reduced oil and sugar to 1/2 cup each. Also omitted baking powder and added 1tsp baking soda with a tsp lemon juice.The cake turned out absolutely delicious. The balance of flavors is amazing: addition of various spices is not overpowering at all. The extra work of grating apple and carrot and weighing them is totally worth it! This recipe is a keeper!!!
Can I make this and freeze it for future use? Meal prepping for baby!
I made this with a few tweaks – replaced the pineapple with pumpkin and topped it with pecans instead of pepitas. It is delicious!
I made this with a few tweaks – replaced the pineapple with pumpkin, use nutmeg instead of cardamom, and topped it with pecans instead of pepitas. It is delicious!
Instead of fresh ginger to replace the ground I decided to go with a mix of cloves and nutmeg, and I am happy to report it came out great! Definitely flexible and a keeper. Thanks for the great post-election baking distraction.
Just made this, delicious. Used frozen cranberries instead of pineapple and threw in some candies ginger. Yummy!
I made this yesterday and it is delish—everything I’m looking for in a breakfast/snack thing. I didn’t have any eggs to spare unfortunately so I used two flax eggs (2tbsp flax meal, 6tbsp water, and 1/4 more baking powder to offset any potential gumminess I often find with vegan baked goods). I love the flexibility of the toppings and mix-ins. The whole wheat flour and shredded coconut create a fantastic flavor and texture!
Wanted to share my variations that worked. I didn’t have an apple so used a single serving of applesauce instead. Used all white whole wheat flour. Halved the recipe and made into 9 muffins, baked a little over 20 min.
Turned out great, I loved the combo of the lemon and cinnamon, and they were super moist. I think the applesauce made it a touch too sweet so if I used that again I would reduce the sugar but overall very easy and great for breakfast!
Tasty! And we ate it for breakfast as instructed : )
Didn’t have enough flour in the house so I blended some oats and made it with half whole wheat flour and half oat flour (is that a thing?). Turned out fine!
I liked this recipe and especially the addition of cardamom. I still found that there was too much oil in it, so I would reduce the oil even more if using all-purpose flour.
I loved your story! Growing up this was me, except my mom would leave store-bought donuts and cartoons or legos to keep me busy while everyone slept.
Thank you for the morning glory recipe. I’ve been waiting for one from you for years and this hit the spot!
For those wondering about GF – I made this with a mix of almond flour/coconut flour/arowroot starch and it was a bit crumbly but delicious! Next time will make it with sprouted WW
I subbed 1/3 c. unsweetened apple sauce for 1/3 c. oil, and didn’t have pepitas so used chopped up salted pistachios. This turned out so tasty! My kids and husband all want it to have a brown sugar crust on top, and I think stirring the pistachios (or perhaps salted sunflower seeds or some other salty nut) into the cake would be even better. It did end up needing a much longer cook time than called for (close to 20 more minutes), but I’ll definitely be making this again! With twelve slices, it worked out to about 183 calories per slice.
This is a brilliant cake. I have made it a couple of times now (and also bought the book). Like you said Deb, there is a lot of flexibility. I wanted a serious breakfast cake, i.e. not too sweet and a little wholesome. Made it with wholemeal flour, reduced sugar to 90g (still plenty sweet), reduced oil to 100ml and added 100g apple sauce. Came out brilliantly – can’t believe how soft and fluffy this cake is – and it stays that way for a good three days. Freezes well. A winner.
I just moved into a new house and this was my very first bake in my new oven. It was a good choice. This is the best carrot cake I have ever tried – soft, fluffy (even made with half whole-wheat) and so flexible (I did not have any coconut and I used olive oil). I will be making this again very soon.
Is the temp correct? Been in there for 35 mins at 350 and it looks like it has barely cooked.
It is but moisture can really vary between ingredients — just bake it as long as needed.
After grating the apple and carrots, I squeezed a lot of the juice out because I thought the cake would be too soggy, and I strained the crushed pineapple. Cake came out really great, but it still needed an extra 10 or 12 minutes until done. Do you squeeze the grated apple and carrot or keep all the juice in?
No need to squeeze — I promise I’d tell you if it was necessary.
I made these and they were delicious. However they were so crumbly that I had to almost eat it with a spoon. I made it with 100% whole wheat flour. Any suggestions on how to keep it together a little more?
I made this cake and it came out almost liquid. I plan to implement the suggestions of (unfortunately I am unable to access her name) who suggested reducing the oil to 100 ML (just under half a cup) and add 100 ml of unsweetened applesauce. I’m also going to wring out the grated apple and dry it assiduously, as I am also going to do with the pineapple. The flavor and texture of this cake are just unmatched, and I plan to bake this again and again until I get it RIGHT.
Hi Deb- I have this in the oven now and can’t wait.
Do you think it would over do it (or just taste off) to add some cream cheese frosting? I have carrot cake vibes, but don’t know if it would be too “healthy” for frosting to work.
Couldn’t wait and went for it on the cream cheese frosting (your recipe from Smitten Kitchen Everyday). It did not disappoint.
I think it would be delicious with a cream cheese frosting.
This is at least the third recipe I’ve seen posted from this book and now I must add it to my collection as well.
For a while in college I was making baked oatmeal muffins to keep in the freezer as easy food before heading to a day of double majoring but found the liners such a pain to deal with that I switched to baking them in a pan instead. Such an easy swap for an easier morning!
Every baker needs a signature snacking cake and Morning Glory Breakfast Cake is now mine. Made as directed with exception of subbing chopped pecans for the pepitas and it was perfect.
Veganized this and it was delicious! Flavorful and moist, it was gone by the next day.
I made this cake, and it seemed more like a British steamed pudding than a cake. (Think Boston brown bread?) Even as I was adding the 2/3 cup of oil it seemed like too much. Generally your baking recipes are perfect Deb, so I thought maybe it was a typo. Did anyone else think this? I used sunflower oil, and I reduced the sugar slightly, but that shouldn’t have made a difference…I don’t think.
This reminds me of the pumpkin breakfast cake I used to grab on my walk to walk down the Upper East Side from Two Little Red Hens bakery back before they streamlined their production and stopped making such deliciousness. We are going to be experimenting nostalgically with this!
This is amazing; made it as written yesterday. My picky kids (one who was an early riser until middle school – there is hope!) like it too. Thanks Deb!
Thank you for this! My mom used to make this when we were kids and I LOVED it – so happy to have found a recipe that I can use!!!!!
Yum! I made this with AP flour and a bit of flax meal, a dash closer to 3/4C sugar, PARSNIPS for carrot (what I had), and more apple instead of pineapple (what I didn’t have), a pinch of garam masala (in place of cardamom) and slivered almonds on top. It is moist and light, a quick and great afternoon snack.
This is moist and oh-so-delicious! The only change I made was to swap out 1/2 the oil for a mix of applesauce and pumpkin puree. Delicious and healthy. Like others already mentioned, I really couldn’t tell that this was all whole wheat. My second batch is in the oven right now. Yum!
Waking up at 5 am to read sounds quite peaceful! I’ve never quite managed it though… Really inspired by this recipe. I’m always struggling for breakfast ideas and combining cake with breakfast seems like a dream team! Definitely going to try this!
Did you ever make a vegan version of this? I imagine substituting the eggs with a banana and a flex egg might do just fine. Will try this at the weekend anyway, looks delish!
I made these with flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax + 6 tablespoons water) and another time with aquafaba (6 tablespoons) and both worked great.
I have a long love affair with Morning Glory muffins. I used to make them with my mom as a kid, and I would get one every time I found them at a local bakery. Thank you for this recipe, I look forward to making this with my kids!
Hi Deb,
I really enjoy your recipes and the pictures are so helpful. I have a question regarding shredding versus grating. The picture has you shredding the carrot and apple, but the directions say grating. I always thought the two were different. Are they? Thank you
So, I’ve been waiting to make this (for some unknown reason) but I finally did and I just want to say:
THANK YOU SO MUCH DEB THIS IS JUST WHAT I NEEDED!
Healthy-ish, but still snacky, and bonus it uses what I will surely have a glut of come winter, apples and carrots (since they seem to be a winter CSA staple).
I did sub apple sauce for the crushed pineapple. It baked beautifully in 35 minutes, not crumbly at all and perfectly moist.
I think the next time I may add some oats or oat flour just to give it a tiny bit more heft (and then I can rationalize it as a true breakfast item).
I made this! It was very tasty but I found it to be too heavy w oil. I would definitely reduce the amount next time- it was just too oily
I replaced the flour with oat flour in this recipe and it worked well. I reduced the sugar to 1/3C and it still was very nice. I found 2/3C oil to be too much, though, and would suggest cutting back on that!
Fantastic! I am occasional cook. Sometimes I make food at home when I get time out of my work.
Loving your recipes. Crisp and to the point explaining very nicely. Hope to make a cake on this Christmas!
Stay blessed and will be coming back for more interesting recipes. Thanks.
It’s a great idea to use less sugar. I also normally put less sugar in all the cookies and pies, especially if I plan to eat them in the morning. And if I crave something sweeter, I can alway top them with more sugary jam.
Hello Deb,
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! The only thing I changed was that I used butter instead of oil as I find it always makes a lighter cake. This will be a favourite go-to recipe in my household from now on.
Warm regards,
Jo
I made these into muffins and they are spectacular! I had a near-disaster when I realized I was mindlessly spooning baking soda into the batter with 1/2 tsp, and then tried to scoop it all out, but couldn’t…and hoped what I had left behind was about what the recipe called for. Fortunately, they turned out beautifully, 12 very large muffins that took about 25 minutes to bake through.
I couldn’t find crushed pineapple (pandemic problems) so I used canned pineapple tidbits and pulsed them a bit with an immersion blender. I used golden raisins for my dried fruit and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. 10/10 would make again!
This turned out really nicely. I did 1 cup whole wheat and 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Also used a sprinkle of nutmeg instead of cardamom. The texture was just right – since the pineapple needed to be well-drained, I also made sure to squeeze some of the excess juice out of the shredded apple.
The perfect Thanksgiving morning cake! I’m commenting for those who are wondering about making this gluten free. The first time I tried I failed, though the flavor was great, by mixing 1-1 and almond. (Stodgy, Paul and Prue would say!) This time I used a 1-to-1 flour for 1 cup and 1/4 cup of buckwheat to add some depth. I also used 1/8 cup of ground flax meal. It was terrific.
I made this this morning (and then proceeded to eat half of it throughout the day!) I subbed flax eggs, used an extra apple and carrot instead of pineapple, added chopped dates, and topped with chopped pecans. It was still pretty mushy on the bottom after 34-40 minutes so it probably baked for a total of 50 minutes in a 9×9 pan. I’ll cut the sugar a bit next time and might even try a little less oil because it was a bit oily (maybe the flax eggs cause that.) But it was yummy and I really liked the ability to adapt.
The raisins were at the very back of my cupboard and were so dry there was a grape-sugar crust on them. Ignoring comments saying it’s not necessary, I rehydrated them with 1/3 cup of applesauce and 1/3 c honey, heated for a bit on the stove and then cooled. Used 1/3 cup of olive oil, with the applesauce, for the 2/3c oil in the recipe. Used einkorn flour. Batter was a lot more moist than I expected, so added a heaping Tbsp of flour…and glad in hindsight because while cleaning up I realized I had forgotten to mix in the coconut. Baked it for 45 min, because at 30 it was still rather batter-y.
Could not wait for the cake to cool, so ate it with a scoop of ice cream … to cool it off. And, asked for the Snacking Cakes recipe book for Christmas.
I made these with no pineapple and in muffin pans and they are a hit!mkids love them! Me too!
These came out even better than I was expecting. I didn’t have the pineapple, and I didn’t have quite enough apple or carrot to sub the pineapple with those, so I ended up using about 1/3 apple, 1/3 carrot, and 1/3 zucchini for the fresh produce component. Used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose, and didn’t decrease the sugar or oil at all. They are astonishingly moist and the crunch from the pumpkin seeds is perfect.
More excited for Monday morning now that these will be breakfast!
Made this last night and was eating it with a spoon out of the dish before it had cooled. This is delicious! It’s a little softer in the center, but I only baked it for 32 minutes, so I’ll probably go the full 35 next time. 100% positive I will make this again and again.
Attention gluten-free bakers: I made this with Bob’s Red Mill’s All Purpose flour (red bag), plus 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (the amount recommended for muffins). I also cut the sugar down to 2 tablespoons in the batter, with another tablespoon sprinkled on top with the pepitas. It was plenty with the sweet sweet raisins, coconut, and canned pineapple.
It was delicious!
When I make this again – and I will, soon – I’ll cut the oil a bit. The gf mix doesn’t absorb fats as well as wheat flour does, and my fingers were left greasy after eating a square.
Thanks, Deb!
I made this glorious cake. I had no pepitas, so used toasted pecans. I ate the whole thing within 24 hours. I regret nothing. 11/10!
Could we sub almond flour?
Made a whole bunch of substitutions and it turned out delicious! Here’s what I did:
-subbed pineapple for an extra 40g of both apples & carrots
-subbed rolled oats directly for coconut
-subbed brown sugar for raw sugar
-added 100g of walnuts
-added 1/2 tsp ground cloves
-more of all the spices
-baked as muffins in silicone baking cups- took about 20-25 min since they were larger (made 15)
How would I convert this amazing recipe to a loaf? Has anyone done this? Thanks!
I have not but would also like to make a loaf – did you do it? any baking time/temp tips? I generally flub baked goods… thx in advance!
I have not tried this, and have never heard that anyone has. Let me know how it works out for you if you give it a try. I would love to know how to modify the recipe, but I really have no clue.
Can I substitute almond flour?
I made this recipe when I needed to switch from oatmeal or soft boiled eggs. In other words, my life was boring. I followed the recipe as given (of course cut down on sugar). It was a perfect answer to a boring breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. Now my big excitement is sharing it so far no one has refused and everyone loves it.
I know this is chutzpah, but I want to tell everyone to try different ingredients, increase, decrease, and just go for it. If you are in charge of your kitchen, you can do anything you want. Go for it.
PS I love reading all of your comments. Gloria
I accidentally did the wrong amount of oil and ginger (thanks to a “helping” toddler), forgot about the cake once it was in the oven and have no idea how long it baked, and it still came out delicious. Only changes: didn’t use coconut (because the bag I had was in the pantry and apparently should have been refrigerated) and subbed gluten free flour. This is going into my rotation.
Hi Deb. What can I exchange for the coconut? My kid hates it and can smell it from a mile away.
I used rolled oats! Didn’t notice a difference in the final and I loved the texture.
You can skip it or add more of a grated ingredient. Baking time might be longer if the ingredient is wet.
For those asking about a gluten-free version but don’t like working with 1:1 substitutes, I always sift together my own flour blend depending on the particular recipe and the flour’s purpose in there. This cake needed a pretty basic blend, with just a touch of an extra absorbent flour:
1/2 oz coconut flour
1 1/4 oz toasted oat flour
1 oz tapioca starch
2 1/2 oz cassava flour
I also swapped the pineapple for an extra carrot and a finely diced, peeled apple, tossed in chopped, toasted pecans instead of coconut flakes, and used 1/2 c of roasted hazelnut oil for the fat. Turned out delicious! Perfectly plush with a delicate, but sturdy crumb.
I just finished eating my last piece of this breakfast cake! I read through the comments to see how others made this gluten free, and I ended up using 1 cup gluten free flour and 1/4 cup buckwheat flour. I also reduced the sugar and oil to 1/2 cup each. Everything else I kept the same, and I included (golden) raisins. It was very plush and not too sweet, which was perfect for us. Will make again.
Fantastic! I replaced sugar with Monk Fruit Sweetner, used Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 1/4 cup cranberries sweetened with apple juice instead of raisins and sprinkled chopped pecans on top…… family loves it!! Thank you!
I made this this morning as muffins (made 12), per comments, I reduced the oil just a bit and diced rather than grated the apple for textural contrast. Took about 33 minutes to bake and came out moist and yummy, next time(s) might either amp up the spices or, per comments, add nutmeg but otherwise another keeper!
Like many others, I had a tough time with the moisture in this cake. Even after 50 minutes baking, when a toothpick came out clean all over, the cake itself was super wet and mushy once it cooled. I grated the carrots and apples in the food processor and I think it would’ve worked better if I’d squeezed them dry before making the batter.
What could possibly happen if I took out the sugar entirely. Family has dumped sugar and the fruits involved seem like reasonably tasty sweetness. Please advise. I hate messing up my baked goods!!
i’m currently obsessed.
this is the third sunday night have made this in prep for the week.
here are my notes (so far):
– using mostly whole wheat flour is way more delicious than any other combo
– works well with subbing in some nut flour and/or oat flour
– toast your coconut
– add chopped pecans (and toast them too)
– pears are soooo good in place of or in addition to apple/carrot
– the apple/carrot combo can be different ratios with wonderful results
– can sub applesauce for the pineapple
– sub 1/3 C of oil with either pumpkin purée or applesauce
– 100% brown sugar is the way to go
– chop up the dried fruit & other additions for better distribution
on friday night as i was making dinner, i toasted the pecans & coconut, rubbed the lemon zest into the brown sugar, and mixed the flours & leveners & spices together. i measured out the dried fruit & mixed them with the nuts and coconut, drained the pineapple, mixed the oil & applesauce, and cut the parchment for the pan. it made tonight’s prep a breeze.
i’m gonna try to freeze the shredded carrot & pear to see if i can prep even more in advance.
thank you deb! you’ve made breakfast an exciting time for me.
LP – thank you!!!
This was fabulous even when I MAJORLY screwed up by mismeasuring the flour — I must have had about 2 cups!! (I had to bake it for longer and of course it wasn’t as moist. Folks, don’t put your scale on a soft surface like a microfiber dish drying mat.) Can’t wait to make this again with the correct amount of flour!
If anyone’s out there wondering if your planned-on modification will work, I’m here to say that it probably will! Just go for it, as long as it’s not too weird. It’s a very flexible recipe, as Deb points out.
I made this with a number of changes (due mostly to an unwillingness to make yet another grocery order). In case you’re considering doing any of the following: worked for me, bet it’ll work for you:
-100ish grams of whole wheat flour and 60ish grams of einkorn flour
-weird leftover cinnamony German spice blend from holiday baking as the spices
-added a small handful of walnuts. Didn’t even toast them.
-used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce and cut sugar to 1/2 cup
-dumped in an indeterminate amount (couple tablespoons?) ground flax from the end of the bag I needed to use up
-baked it in a 9 x 9 pan, since that’s what I had. Forgot to grease the pan and it was fine, and was exactly done in 30 minutes.
Came out beautifully–soft, just the right moisture level, not exhaustingly whole-wheaty at all. Thanks, Deb and Yossy!
It’s a keeper! I swapped 1/4 cup orange juice in for pineapple, 1/2 cup roasted pecans in for coconut, and made them as muffins instead of a cake. Mine took about 22 minutes in total, and came out deliciously moist and just the right amount of sweet for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Subtly spicy, citrus-y, and a lovely treat for these long winter days. Thanks Deb!
has anyone tried blueberries in this? i’m curious
Turned out perfect!! I used 1 c whole wheat and 1/4 c. AP flour and dried currants. Lighter than I thought it would be.
I made this cake tonight for breakfast tomorrow and I’ve already eaten 1/4 of it! It’s so good–the ideal comfort food to enjoy while snowed in here in Chicago. I made it as written, but baked it an extra ten minutes because the batter seemed really wet. It turned out perfectly. The sides are deeply bronzed and a little crunchy. The pepitas are the secret ingredient. Mine weren’t salted, so I mixed in a little kosher salt before sprinkling them on top. The salt highlighted all the wonderful flavors in the cake. I’ll be making this again and again. And one bowl! Thanks, Deb.
I made this cake with just one sub: 2 chopped mandarin oranges instead of pineapple. This is a GREAT recipe and one I will make again and again. Cake for breakfast? Yes, please!
I followed the recipe but made muffins instead of a cake. They were so tasty but very crumbly, as you mentioned, and kept falling apart. Maybe that doesn’t happen as much in cake form. If I add an extra egg would that make hold together better? More flour? I want a sturdier muffin that my kids can eat without making a huge mess :)
Followed the recipe basically as written, except I was slightly generous with the spices & salt, used 3/4c AP flour & 1/2c WW flour, and added 1tbsp chia seeds because my fruit was a little juicy. Really delicious, and exactly what I needed in my post-daylight savings fog. You could definitely cut back the sugar a little, but it was not overly sweet.
The first time I was introduced to morning glory, it was called just that—morning glory. Not bread, cake, muffin, etc. And now I know why—it is simply glorious!
Just to say I made this with 1/3 cup sugar and it was plenty sweet. Substituted pear for apple and fresh mango for canned pineapple to avoid a grocery run. Baked as muffins for ~20 mins, and they came out perfect. Finished the last for breakfast this am, a full 5 days after making, and it was still supremely moist. Will make again with 0 added sugar for the kiddo.
Oh, I also made GF using 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup millet, 1/2 cup sorghum plus a tbsp of flax for binding. After all the comments, I was worried about crumbliness (a common issue for gf baked goods) but the muffins held together well without being dense.
Oh, I can’t wait to make this! Morning Glory muffins are my absolute favorite.
Saw this on the IG this morning and needed to have it immediately! The main ingredient that I didn’t have was the pineapple — so I added a little extra carrot as well as some sour cream that I needed to use up. Used dried cherries in the batter and chopped pecans on top.
It turned out great, even though my carrots were truly at the end of their lifespan, hah. Perfect timing. Will definitely be making this again, next time with pineapple.
I don’t know if you’ve read the other comments but I started using pumpkin purée instead of pineapple and it makes it sooooo good! I measure out the rest of the can into little baggies that have enough for one batch, and then freeze it so I always have it on hand. (I make this almost every week I love it so much!) Also, I’ve used carrot, apple, pear, and zucchini in place of the pineapple and they all work really well.
I made this today and it is so yummy! I halved the sugar (again) and used flax eggs. Easy, quick, and delicious!
I just ate my first slice this morning and it was a very adult breakfast treat! Very customisable so I can see a lot of variations in my future. Here’s how I made it this time around:
– subbed 100g of fat free Greek style yogurt for oil
– subbed 1/3 cup Demerara sugar for the sugar (accidentally! I meant to do 100g, but simply forgot what I was doing)
– doubled the spices for that extra hit!
– 100g buckwheat + 60g porridge oats for the flour
– seed mix rather than pepitas
I baked it in a loaf tin because I like the shape for breakfast slices. It took 77 minutes at 175c without the fan – the last 20 minutes it was covered in tinfoil to prevent burning.
I reckon it was so long because of the oat substitute (more liquidy?) and shape of the tin (deeper?), and I have no clue ever when or when not to use the fan, but I read that most US baking recipes don’t use the fan, however perhaps that contributed to my temporal downfall?
Despite the wait, it’s a great loaf! Really great despite my lack of sugar, can’t wait to try more variations on a theme!
This cake is amazing. Versatile and very forgiving. I made this with my toddler and added a small shredded zucchini to squeeze in more veggies. DELISH. Will definitely make again!!
I just made this yummy breakfast came this morning. So delicious! I made a few alterations since I didn’t have all of the ingredients: I replaced the pineapple with a 1/2 cup mashed banana, instead of raisins I used dried cranberries, and instead of pepitas I used halved pecans. It turned out wonderfully and my toddler is chowing it down! I did have to add an additional 10 minutes of baking due to how moist the bananas were, so it took about 40-45 minutes to bake.
This cake is delicious and easy to make. I didn’t make substitutions but I added 1/4 cup of oats, decreased the sugar by half and increased the wwflour to 1 and 1/3 cup. I can’t stop eating it and, indeed, it’s crumbly and messy to eat. As one commenter said, will an additional egg make it come together better? Or perhaps decrease the oil to 1/2 cup or substitute a stick of butter. Next time, I will probably substitute more pineapple for the apple, add nuts instead of coconut and skip the ginger. My husband barely touched it. He has a strange aversion to spice! Sigh! Well, more for me.
So good. I used Gala apples and golden raisins. Accidentally baked in a round pan- I don’t recommend (takes forever for the middle to cook through). Next time I’ll make with a tart apple, regular raisins, will up the coconut and lower the sugar. It’s definitely sweet enough from the apples, carrots, coconut (even unsweetened), and pineapple. So very good and happy to have found the recipe- thank you!
I made this for breakfast this morning as muffins, and they were delicious! I subbed the pineapple with finely chopped roasted spaghetti squash and that worked really well. For me, I think the combo of pineapple and the amount of sugar would make the cake on the sweet side even, so I’m going to dial back the sugar a bit next time. Other than that, a great success and will definitely make again!
This is as amazing and substitution-proof as I hoped. I’ve had my eye on it since it was posted, but never have pineapple. This weekend I still didn’t have pineapple, but had waited long enough, so split the difference between more apple and carrot (I did 165g apple and 175g carrot total). Reduced sugar to 85g. Reduced oil to 1/4 cup and added 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Also added 26g of ground flaxseed. Then I, gulp, baked it in a loaf pan. It took 60 minutes on the dot, and has more of a cake-like flat top than a typical quickbread, but rose nicely and slices and toasts up wonderfully. I will definitely make this again! Thanks.
I wonder if you have a suggestion for a GF swap. I use a “cup to cup” GF mix for most of your recipes to sub AP and they work great but I was thinking it could be nice to throw in another whole grain flour with the GF AP – maybe oat flour or millet flour?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi! I’ve used a bunch of flours and here’s my fav mix for GF for this recipe plus tips.
– 60 grams each of oat & almond flours and bobs red mill GF baking cup for cup (NOT their regular one, the one that comes in a blue bag) instead of flour (i haven’t measured these but will try to remember next time i keep forgetting cuz i use weights now)
– ½ tsp xanthan gum
– less sugar (not sure how much, still figuring that out)
– cook at 330 for like 15 min longer (overcook it, it should be drier than with gluten)
– over-mix, mix for a couple min extra
– let stand for about 15-20 min before one last stir and pouring into the pan
There are few comments on gluten free versions but I can confirm I successfully made this with 1/4 cup oat flour and 1 cup of GF all purpose flour blend that included xantham gum. So very very good! I made the swap of pumpkin for pineapple. Perfect for a fall morning tea time!
Just made these and they are wonderful! I decided to try and make these gluten free and paleo, so I used 3/4 cup arrowroot flour and 1/3 cup of coconut flour. These are moist and lovely and not too sweet. Thank you!
I am allergic to pineapple. What can I substitute?
I usually omit the pineapple since it’s not something I have around very often and just do more grated apples and carrots by weight. So, adding an additional 40g of each and it works perfectly!
Yeah I’ve just added more carrot and/or apple by weight, but my favorite is to actually substitute pumpkin puree for the pineapple. It’s a really nice addition!
I’ve been making Morning Glory muffins for New Year’s Day “breakfast” for several years now. Just a nice way to start the year off. Will give this cake a try this year. Thanks!
Good recipe. Used up some old carrots in the vegetable drawer and a somewhat soft apple, also used King Arthur white whole wheat flour, and it was still very moist and tasty. Not overly sweet, which is good as we head into the season of sugar overload.
Do you think I can substitute flour for oat flour to make them whole grain and gluten free?
I turned the cake into muffins with a few modifications, and it was a hit at the supportive housing center where I work and attempt to introduce vegetables and whole grains to the tenants. They cooked in 25 minutes with about 1/4 cup batter per muffin cup. I omitted the coconut and nuts to keep the overall cost down and upped the vegetables by adding zucchini and more carrot/less apple and pineapple. The center’s kitchen had only cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, so that’s what I used, and they smelled and tasted amazing! Thanks, Deb, for another winner recipe!
This was delicious. I will definitely be making it again (and probably making a double recipe next time).
I made this for the first time this week and it was gone the second day. I’ve just popped another one into the oven, and this time it is a double recipe – hopefully that means I will be able to get a second serving before it disappears.
Yummmm!!!! I used toasted pecans instead of coconut. I also substituted 1/2 cup of honey for the sugar and 3/4 cup of canned pureed pumpkin for the oil. I also added 3/4 cup of instant oats. Delicious and filling breakfast “cake”!
This was great. I appreciate the one bowl/scale method. I switched the quantities of apple and carrot by accident and added 40g more of each to substitute for the pineapple. Used half whole wheat, half white flour, and half safflower and half coconut oil. I doubled it in a 9×13 and noticed that the parchment going up two sides in this case was essential. It took about 7 minutes more in my oven to bake.
Would this work well in a bundt form?
Fantastic, simple, adaptable recipe. I used half apple/half carrot bc I didn’t have pineapple. Subbed 1/3 cup of maple syrup for sugar and decreased oil to 1/3 cup. Increased spices and will probably add even more next time.
Phenomenal, not too sweet, and will be lovely toasted for breakfast with a dollop of yogurt!
Totally delicious. One of the best things I have ever made. I substituted applesauce for half of the oil. I made them as muffins instead of cake and baked for 20 minutes. Bake sale worthy!
This is SO good. I don’t think it will make it to breakfast – we are eating it all tonight.
Made this yesterday evening, and will make it again, though with a few more tweaks maybe. I had cut the sugar to 1/2 cup and replaced the coconut with some chopped walnuts, the lemon zest with lime juice, and used fresh crushed ginger and cardamom. I suspect I should have also crushed and drained the pineapple a bit better. It tasted lovely, but was soggy at the bottom, despite baking for 45 minutes. Next time, I might leave out the pineapple, increase the apple and carrot, increase the spices and bake the cake in the bottom half of the oven instead of in the middle. Definitely worth making again though.
I made this on a snowy late winter morning to bring some sunshine into my kitchen. This recipe was so easy – one bowl, can be adapted to what you already have, and no need to soften butter or get the hand mixer out (checks all the boxes for morning baking for me!).
Swaps I made:
-Use a little more apple, little less carrot than called for
-Added chopped toasted pecans
-Used orange zest instead of lemon
-Used 1/2 cup of oil based on other reviews
Cake smelled amazing and turned out well! It tastes like a healthy, delicious breakfast cake. Only thing I’d like to tweak is the “crumbliness” of the cake. It was fairly messy to slice and didn’t really hold together. I didn’t get clean slices like in the first picture. Maybe reducing the oil affected that?
Thank you Deb for this recipe!
Deb, would this work baked in a loaf pan instead of a square pan? Any idea how the baking time would change?
I haven’t tested in a loaf but I’m sure it would be good. Probably check it at 30 minutes and then 40 if it’s not done.
I made these as the recipe was written without shredded coconut (not my favorite texture) with a 1:1 sub of KA GF AP flour. The crumb is delightful and the spice mix is perfect and so warming! Another great recipe, Deb! xx
I have made this cake several times and every time it turns out divine. I have shared it with my friends, neighbors, and family and cake was gone in seconds.
Okay I am late to the party but just made this and it was delish!! However, it had a bitter aftertaste and google said it could be caused by too much baking soda or powder. Any comments on whether/how to adjust those? Or I used an older lemon, could that be causing the bitterness? Thanks!!
Made this for the first time and regretting not trying it sooner. No pineapple so I added same amount rhubarb, chopped into approx 1cm dice. Worked perfectly, and I think brings a similar tang to recipe that pineapple would.
My mouth has been wanting this for weeks and I finally made it this morning. EXCELLENT. Mods: I finely chopped the apple instead of grating it, swapped oats for coconut, swapped cloves for cardamom, added 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans, used 1/2 c. oil, topped with raw sugar/pepitas/pecans. Cooked in exactly 30 min to what I would agree is a crumbly, plush crumb. Ginger definitely adds a bit of kick to it and I might take it down to a heaping 1/4 tsp next time. The raw sugar on top gives a delightful little crunch.
Its amazing to me that not once have you steered me wrong with your recipes and this one is no exception!!!! It was easy, delicious, moist, and even healthy!!! I am such a huge fan of all your cooking!!! I made these for myself and my kids for an after school snack and it was a huge hit for all! I didn’t have pineapple, so just added more shredded apple and carrot. I used dried cherries and raisins as well as flax seed and sunflower seeds for the topping. It was perfection!!!!
Made this cake as written. Excellent texture and flavor. I used toasted unsweetened coconut and added about half a cup of walnuts. Will definitely make it again.
I wish your link to Snaking Cakes was to the publisher
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646634/snacking-cakes-by-yossy-arefi/
Would this work with gluten-free flour?
Will this work with a swap for the eggs to make it vegan? I usually use flax eggs in place, will that bake up the same? Or should I swap with mashed banana or applesauce?
Made this today in muffin form without the raisins because I didn’t have them. It produced 12 decent size, flat top muffins. They are delicious! The texture is as described – moist and a little crumbly. Will make the actual muffin version next to compare the difference.
Made it yesterday ave called it carrot cake to my unsuspecting family. I used golden raisins, olive oil as my neutral oil and actually chopped the carrots and apples in the mini food processor- which was quick and easy. Really delicious!
Hello Deb!
This recipe sounds delicious. I must say, Im not the biggest fan of pineapple. Suggestions for substitutes?
Delicious! I used half a cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cups. It was still deliciously sweet. You can even reduce it to 1/4 cup, in my opinion.
My daughter is allergic to apple. If I sub with canned pumpkin, do I still use a cup? Is there a better substitute?
I was traveling and left the original recipe book at home. I’ve made the cake many times before and this version just doesn’t turn out right. It was such a disappointment. Seek out the original.
The whole family loved this. It’s so much easier than muffins, though perhaps that’s just in my mind, and easy to adapt based on ingredients on hand or dietary preferences. I make it vegan by using flax eggs, which I mix with the drained pineapple juice instead of with water. As many other commenters have, I reduce both the sugar and the oil by half and replaced with applesauce. I use natural sweeteners for the remaining sugar, maple syrup and honey (if not vegan) both work well. It’s perfect for breakfast and after-school snacks.