How Julie Andrews Gives Carrot Cake A Protein-Packed Twist

A classic carrot cake featuring warming spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, is one of the tastiest ways to make use of a glut of carrots. That said, this scrumptious cake lacks one thing: Satiating protein. While you could add Greek yogurt to the batter or use different high-protein ingredients, like almond flour, they change the consistency of the crumb. Another way to give your carrot cake a boost of protein without affecting its texture is to take a leaf out of veteran actress Julie Andrews' book and make a frosting with a little twist. The secret? Tofu!

Usually, the trick to using tofu as a cream cheese substitute is to opt for the silken variety because it has a consistency that's closer to the cream cheese that's normally used to make the frosting. However, Andrews' recipe, which was printed in the USO Celebrity cookbook back in the early '90s, uses firm tofu, which is whipped up with honey, orange extract, orange zest, and toasted and shredded coconut. The liquid element of the mixture softens the tofu as it whips, resulting in a dreamy frosting that's easy to spread over the finished cake. A 3.5-ounce serving of firm tofu contains 17 grams of protein, which means Andrew's entire cake (which uses 18 ounces of tofu) contains about 85 grams of protein. The cake is supposed to serve up to 10, which equates to 8.5 grams of protein per slice.

Tofu is a nutrient-dense plant protein made from soy beans that's super versatile (you can even use tofu to make fudge!). As Andrew's tofu topping for carrot cake is free from butter and cream cheese, it thereby makes a fantastic vegan alternative to buttercream or cream cheese frosting options too. In fact, the entire cake is vegan-friendly because the fat in the batter comes from vegetable oil. Plus, the frosting itself contains fewer calories (but doesn't sacrifice on the creaminess), which is a real boon if you're keen to broaden your cake game and whip up more inclusive treats. Tofu is naturally mild and has an almost neutral flavor, which readily takes on the taste of anything it's combined with. This quality allows the orange extract and honey in the frosting to shine.

Another thing that makes Andrews' carrot cake unusual? Along with the pastry flour, the batter for the cake contains cornmeal and is sweetened with honey rather than sugar. The cornmeal lends the cake a toothsome quality and a nuttier flavor, while the honey brings a floral note to the table. Some of the other celebrities that had their donated recipes featured in the same USO cookbook include Gene Kelly, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lewis.