Rustic Sourdough Carrot Cake

Hello friends!

I am over at the Grain Mill Wagon sharing my yummy Rustic Sourdough Carrot Cake today. I made this cake for my Daddio's birthday and it was a yummy success!

Also, have you seen my Sourdough Focaccia Bread? You should, it's simply delicious and I love soaking up my sauces with this bread.

Have a wonderful day! Hugs!

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10 Favorite Chocolate Sweets For Your Valentine's Day

How many of you know the real story behind Valentine's Day?

This somewhat international holiday wasn't always about love, chocolate, strawberries and everything else that goes with Valentine's Day.

According to the Wikipedia, "St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards."

Hmm, this is very interesting. There seems to be a pattern here... most of the holidays we celebrate start off as a Christian celebration to remember important people, but later became celebrations that have nothing to do with the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas and Easter are two examples of that... Santa Claus and Bunnies? Where did they come from?

Now that I know the real story behind Valentine's Day... I plan to tell my kids the real story behind this holiday.

Of course, we will still celebrate this holiday with some yummy chocolate sweets! Plus, it is my Daddio's birthday... but he usually requests a carrot cake, his all-time favorite.

I will make him my rustic sourdough carrot cake... along with a chocolate tart that I have been experimenting with. Will share that with you when its ready!

So... today I am sharing with you my top 10 favorite chocolate sweets. Hope you enjoy them!!

 Double Chocolate Velvet Pancakes

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Tip: Instead of using the Banana Love Sauce... top it with strawberry cream cheese and serve it with more fresh strawberries!

Aquacate del Chocolate

(sugar-free, gluten-free & diary-free)

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries. If you are throwing a party... serve this smooth, delicious pudding in avocado shells and top with strawberries & coconut flakes!

 Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

(diary-free & sugar-free options)

 Flourless Chocolate Almond Cookies

(gluten-free & diary-free)

 Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies

(sugar-free, gluten-free & dairy-free)

 Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries on top!

 Strawberry Cacao Milkshake

(sugar-free & diary-free option)

 Strawberry Coconut Muffins w/ Strawberry Cream Cheese

(gluten-free, dairy-free & sugar-free)

Tip: I know this isn't chocolate, but drizzling some homemade chocolate syrup on top would be just fab with this girlies... or chocolate chips!

Almund Joye Ice Cream

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Coconut Custard Cake

(gluten-free, sugar-free & dairy-free options)

Tip: Another none-chocolate recipe, but trust me... add chocolate chips in the batter and serve with fresh strawberries with more chocolate on top... a kiss on the lips goodness!

What are some of your favorite chocolate sweets?

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Sourdough Journal #8: Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Rich... tangy... moist... amazingly good.


I can't get over how easy it was to make it! For so long I always thought that sourdough seemed... complicated and a lot of work. Boy, I was so wrong! I am SO grateful for the gals who put together the Sourdough eCourse... they made it so simple and easy.


Now, look at what I've made... a sourdough starter from scratch, crackers, pancakes, tortillas, muffins, pizza, cornbread and now a chocolate CAKE!

Yeah, it tasted just as yummy as it looks!


I doubled the recipe and made a 2-layer cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. I made so much frosting that it almost seemed more like a cheesecake than plain old cake! My oldest, Naomi, loved the frosting so much that she ate it all off her cake and was too full to even finish the cake. LOL!

Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup sourdough starter (fed in the last 12 hours)
1 cup coconut milk (or other milk)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup coconut palm sugar
1 cup coconut oil, butter or both (lightly melted)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably not Dutch processed)
1 tsp finely ground coffee (optional)
2 eggs


Mix together the starter, coconut milk and wheat flour in a large bowl. Cover and let it sour for 5 to 8 hours.


Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 cake pan or two 8"-9" cake pans with butter or oil and set aside.


In a different bowl, mix together sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt, baking soda, cocoa powder and coffee. Add eggs and beat it up well. Combine the sourdough mixture with the chocolate batter. Mix till smooth and pour into prepared pan(s).


Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick in the center to see if its done. Remove from oven and let it cool completely before tipping them onto a plate.


Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting


1 cup homemade cream cheese (store bought is fine too!)
1/2 cup raw honey (more or less)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
Coconut flakes


Whip together everything except the coconut flakes in a blender or food processor till smooth. 


If you are doing a 2-layer cake, tip out the first cake onto a plate and spread with frosting. Tip out the second cake on top and spread frosting on top and the sides. Sprinkle heavily with coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy!


TIP: This cake is great at room temperature, but my family loved it cold. They said it was like having ice cream cake  :o)

See! So easy! Hope you try this sometime. Great for all those summer barbecues with friends and family  :o)

By the way: I updated my recipes page. Hopefully I will stay on top of that from now on!

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