Simple Carrot Cake with Upcycled Barley Flour Pancake Mix

Craft breweries often discard barley grains even though they're packed with nutrition. At Susgrainable, we've given this "waste" a delightful twist, transforming it into our special upcycled barley flour and, now, a mouth-watering carrot cake. 

In our new "Not a Baker" series, join Ben as he tackles barley flour recipes with no baking experience, stumbling through the process without any outside help. This super simple carrot cake, made in a blender with our pancake mix as its base, is not only delicious but also incredibly easy to follow. Check out Ben’s videos here.

Recipe for Upcycled Barley Flour Carrot Cake: 

Ingredients: 

• 300g (about 2 1/2 cups) Susgrainable pancake mix 
• 2 tsp spice mix (1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, or 2 tsp cinnamon, or up to 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice) 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 280g carrots (about 4 small, 3 medium, or basically 2 cups coarsely chunked up) 
• *Optional: 1/2 cup raisins and/or chopped walnuts 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a Bundt pan.
2. In a bowl, combine the pancake mix and spices.
3. Wash and wipe the carrots, cut off tops, and coarsely cut into pieces (about 2 cups).
4. Put carrots, oil, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla into a blender or food processor.
5. Blend on medium power until carrots are fine but not totally smooth (think consistency of grated carrots—not a smoothie).
6. Pour wet ingredients from the blender (should be about 3 1/2 cups) into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir briefly to combine. Avoid overmixing. Stir in walnuts or raisins if using.
7. Pour batter into the well-greased Bundt pan.
8. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

At Susgrainable, our mission goes beyond creating delicious recipes. Every slice you enjoy is a step towards a more sustainable future, showcasing how food waste can be innovatively turned into delectable meals. 

So, the next time you're craving a carrot cake, remember there's a way to satisfy your tastebuds while also being kind to our planet. Every choice matters—especially the delicious ones! 

Enjoyed this recipe? Don't forget to save and share our blog to join us on our sustainable food journey! Watch Ben bake this recipe here.