Happy Birthday, Brittney!

Yesterday was Brittney's birthday so I made her a cake in celebration. She said she had no preference as to what kind. I did some usual pre-baking/cooking research and found a really yummy looking carrot cake recipe made with agave nectar. I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose, but followed the recipe exactly. I don't really like cream cheese frosting but I definetely wanted some sort of topping; here was my opportunity for creativity. There's a restaurant in Sedona that does a carrot cake with some sort of vegan coconut frosting-it's amazing. In my attempt to recreate such flavors I threw some dates, a spoonful of almond butter, a handful of coconut and a squeeze of agave nectar in the food processor. I also added a splash of water to smooth it out. The dates could also be soaked ahead of time to create a smoother texture. I turned on the machine and behold...it came out wonderfully. A kind of coconut almond paste that had the perfect consistency and sweetness. It was just enough to spread on top of the cake-as I am anti-frosting overkill. Then I sprinkled some more coconut on top and voila...a cake worth having a birthday for. The cake itself is moist and almost pudding-like and the topping just adds a creamy coconut complement. I loved it-but more importantly-so did Brittney.