Readers of this blog will know the by now legendary challenge I have to get enough fruit and veg into the kids. Caitlin has always been reasonably good but Ieuan is proving more stubborn.
Parents will be familiar with the general boredom that sets in when you have to listen to your own, largely ignored lectures about the health benefits of vitamins and minerals on repeat, whilst the kids languidly prod whichever gadget is in reach.
So it is time to explore a new and sneaky way to get veg into them – and happily, the bakers at Blackberry Cottage have a cunning plan.
As they explain, vegetables in cakes have been around for hundreds of years – everyone has heard of carrot cake – but they have designed a whole range of vegetable cakes and tray bakes, as well as a delectable selection of Christmas puddings.
Their cakes have vegetables as the biggest ingredient which allows them to reduce refined sugars and fats. They also use alternative flours such as rice and gram as well as the more traditional ones.
Based in Berkshire, the team bake every day in their artisan kitchen. Blackberry Cottage cakes are hand baked in small batches using home grown or locally sourced supplies – and using eggs from their own chickens.
We were sent a Tea Time Cake Selection to try containing 5 delicious cake portions:-
- Chocolate Sponge with Butternut Squash
- Apricot & Almond with Carrot
- Chocolate Brownie with Sweet Potato
- Fruit Loaf with Parsnip & Lemon Icing
- Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
We found all of them lovely and moist without being overly sweet. Whilst you can see the vegetables in the cakes, they are not the over-riding taste. This is brilliant because if you didn’t tell your kids what they were eating, I doubt they’d realise they were eating veg!
My favourite was the Chocolate Sponge with Butternut Squash whilst the Husband liked the delicate taste of the Fruit Loaf with Parsnip & Lemon Icing. Caitlin and Ieuan both chose the Chocolate Brownie with Sweet Potato as their favourite.
Enthused with this new method of eating vegetables, Ieuan announced he was now going to eat a Blackberry Cottage brownie every day.
Cakes need to be stored in a cool dry place and you can freeze them too.
We were also sent a Blackberry Cottage Round Christmas Pudding to try. There are four to choose from:-
- Gluten, Dairy, Nut, Egg Free & No Added Refined Sugar (suitable for Vegans)
- Delicious Moist Pudding full of Rum Cask Cider Soaked Fruit (suitable for Vegetarians)
- Traditional Old Recipe with Ale & Carrots (suitable for Vegetarians)
- Delicious Moist Pudding full of Stout Soaked Fruit (suitable for Vegetarians)
Ours was the one full of Rum Cask Cider Soaked Fruit and it was a dense, rich pudding full of spices and surprises such as figs. The kids wolfed theirs down with Caitlin opting for her usual 3 pints of custard.
Although you can steam the pudding (100 minutes), it also microwaves nicely in 3 minutes so that’s what we did and it worked fine.
The cider used in our pudding comes from a local cider maker in West Berkshire using a variety of eating, cooking and crab apples which have been fermented and matured in oak rum barrels.
The pudding we were sent was the 450g size which serves 4 comfortably but there is also a 900g which serves 8 and larger sizes are available.
Our pudding came wrapped in muslin and finished with a pretty ribbon so would make a great gift too. I’m not the only one who would eat Christmas pudding after Christmas, surely?!
If you would like to learn how to incorporate vegetables in cakes, you can even attend one of Blackberry Cottage’s courses or demonstrations.
I have to confess I’m not the only one to discover Blackberry Cottage. They have been featured in Vogue, The Daily Mail, Landlove Magazine, The Daily Telegraph and Healthy Diet Magazine, among others.
You can find out more at www.blackberrycottagefayre.co.uk or email kate@blackberrycottagefayre.co.uk.
Would you like to try vegetables in cakes – you’ll never know, I promise!
Ex marketing professional turned family lifestyle blogger. I live in Cardiff with hubby Mat, Caitlin (10) and Ieuan (8).
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Chocolate cake and brownie box
1 of my 5 a day too
I’d like to try the lime drizzle and courgette cake but they all sound interesting and tasty
The fruit loaf with parsnip and lemon icing sounds lovely
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting. My favourite – I mix in Cream Cheese with Pineapple into the frosting too.
I would like to try the Lime Drizzle with Courgette.
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting.
Apricot and almond with carrot slice.
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Sounds like my children, Connor acts like your poisoning him if you offer him fruit and Megan absolutely loves it, Mollie is 8 months she likes banana but I mushed it up last week and she didn’t like it, I also tried her with strawberries and she liked them squashed but not in little chunks, this is a great way to get them eating 1 of their 5 a day, although they now say 10 a day which is impossible, I’m not entering the competition, I’m just commenting as I can relate to the battle lol xx
The Fruit Loaf with Parsnip and Lemon Icing . Parsnip has such a distinct flavour that I’m intrigued to know what it tastes like
Fruit Loaf with Parsnip and Lemon Icing would be my first choice.
Would love to try the Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting x
Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
I would love to have the carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Free From Christmas Pudding Traditional Round
I would love to try theApricot & Almond with Carrot Slices
carrot cake with vanilla frosting
The Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting!
I would love to try the Lime Drizzle with Courgette
The fruit loaf with parsnip and lemon icing, yummy!
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting looks rather tasy
Lime drizzle with courgette cake sounds scrummy!
The chocolate brownies look and sound really moist and luscious.
id love to try The fruit loaf with parsnip and lemon icing it would no doubt taste amazing
Lime Drizzle with Courgette sounds fab
I love the sound of the Lime Drizzle with Courgette!
Lime Drizzle with Courgette sounds yummy x
I’d love to try the flapjacks with courgette
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting looks delicious!
Rum Cask Cider Christmas Pudding Traditional Round
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting would be my choice!
The Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot sound yummy 🙂
Chocolate brownies with beetroot sound yummy!
The Chocolate Brownies with Spinach sounds interesting.
Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice for us, please!
Mini Christmas Pudding Selection Box, perfect x
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting.
These sound amazing – ale and carrot xmas pud for me 🙂
The Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot is the one I would like to try
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting.
Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
Oo all these cakes sound delicious! I am a big fan on Christmas pudding and this one sound like a real luxury pud (and sounds delicious too!).
Rum Cask Cider Christmas Pudding Traditional Round
I would never really have thought about vegetable cake. I’d rather keep my vegetables seperate and my cake as cake x
CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH SWEET POTATO
Oh wow this sounds like such a fab place to visit. What a great way to get fruit and veg into the kid
You had me at carrot cake. I would love to have that, its beyond one of my most favorite things in life!
EEEEEEK gluten free Christmas pud!!! 😍😍😍
*casually now tries to hide how childishly excited I am to have found a GF Christmas pud option
Love to try the carrot cake
The chocolate brownie with sweet potato sounds very interesting. It’s great you can freeeze them as well. What a great idea to help kids eat more vegetables
Lime drizzle
I would definitely love to try the Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice.
Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice
the carrot cake for me
the Lime Drizzle with Courgette sounds nice x
The Lime drizzle and courgette sounds delicious
The chocolate cake and brownies.
Definitely the carrot cake with frosting!
Would love to try the Ale and Carrot Christmas Pudding Traditional Round I love Christmas puddings & this one sounds delicious
The brownie box
Simnel cale sounds intriguing 😊
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting sounds divine, but to be fair, so do all the other delicacies, so difficult to choose.
Chocolate Brownies with beetroot
Chocolate brownies with beetroot
I adore vegetables in cake it is such a good way of getting those extra nutrients and an excuse to eat cake. Have you tried chocolate beetroot cake? It is so good x
Carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Ale and Carrot Christmas Pudding Traditional Round wow!
Chocolate brownies with sweet potato.
I would love to have the carrot cake with vanilla frosting
The Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
My little daughter only ever seems to like eating bananas… Other fruit and veg is just a no go as far as she is concerned… But she loves sweet food, so these could be great!
The Ale and Carrot Christmas Pudding Traditional Round sounds fab
carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Carrot cake and vanilla frosting
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For me it has to be the Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Lemon, Poppy Seed with Sweet Potato
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Ooooo Chocolate brownies are my absolute weakness lol so would have to say the Brownie Box 🙂 x
Chocolate cake and brownie box
Chocolate cake and brownie box
Apricot and almond with carrot slice for me
the carrot cake sounds lovely! gotta love carrot cake
I would love to try the chocolate torte with aubergine.
I think I’d go for the Chocolate Brownies!
The Flapjack with courgette.
The Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting.
Simnel cake for me
The Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting!
chocolate brownies with beetroot sounds intersting
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting sounds lovely x
Oh lovely, i would really like to try these carrot cake, my favourite type of cake
Simnel Cake sounds rather nice
chocolate cake and brownie box
The carrot cake with frosting because I love carrot cake. 🙂
I’d like to try any of the Chocolate Brownies, and the Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice.
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Parsnip fruit love
Chocolate Brownies with Sweet Potato x
Chocolate Brownie with Sweet Potato -sounds lovely
Sinnel cake sounds amazing!
Lime Drizzle with Courgette
Lemon, Poppy Seed with Sweet Potato sounds nice!
The Lime Drizzle with Courgette….Mouth Watering, actually dribbling writing this blog!
Chocolate brownie with sweet potato sounds yum!
The Chocolate Brownies with beetroot look really tasty.
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting is the one for me.
I would like to try all of this especially the chocolate cake and brownie.
Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot
I’d love to try the Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot
love to try the chocolate brownies and beetroot, sounds very intresting x
Chocolate brownie with spinach sounds so intriguing.
Carrot cake with vanilla frosting- im a sucker for carrot cake.
Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
Chocolate brownies with beetroot sounds divine x
Ooh, these look intriguing. I’d have to say the chocolate brownie with sweet potato!
I would love to try the carrot cakes with vanilla frosting. I have not made a carrot cake in years
Lime drizzle with courgette please
The lemon drizzle with courgette sounds interesting!
CARROT CAKE WITH VANILLA
Chocolate Torte with Aubergine
carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Lemon, Poppy Seed with Sweet Potato
carrot cakes with vanilla frosting.
I would love to try either the Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot or the Chocolate Brownies with Sweet Potato.
carrot cake with vanilla frosting!!
The chocolate brownies with spinach sound really interesting.
The chocolate cake and brownie box looks lovely as I am partial to being attracted to chocolate cakes.It’s not my fault my brain just takes one look and goes chocolate!
There are some really interesting and delicious sounding recipies.
I’d like to try the Lime Drizzle with Courgette
Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice
For me its the brownie mix
Chocolate Torte with Aubergine
The Father’s Day Cake Box looks yummy
Lime Drizzle with Courgette sounds intriguing
Chocolate Brownie with Sweet Potato
Lemon, Poppy Seed and Sweet Potato cake sounds really good!
LEMON, POPPY SEED WITH SWEET POTATO
The apricot and almond with carrot slice sounds delicious.
The Chocolate Brownies with Sweet Potato sound very unusual. I am sure they would be delicious.
The chocolate brownies with spinach definitely! Such a good idea!
Lemon, poppy seed and potato cake – sounds amazing!
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
lovely products – would love to try CARROT CAKE WITH VANILLA FROSTING
Why can’t I have Christmas Pud all year round!
all of them look nice, but the cake and brownie box would be perfect
Flapjack with courgette
The Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box looks fantastic :o)
I’m a wimp, I’d go with what I know, Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting sounds really tempting
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Carrot cake with vanilla frosting is tickling my taste buds. They all sound delicious.!
I’d like to try the Mini Christmas Pudding Selection Box
Apricot and almond with carrot slice looks so good!
chocolate cake and brownie box
Chocolate cake and brownie box looks delicious yummy
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting, sounds delicious
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting please.
I would like to try the Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice
chocolate brownies with beetroot sound really funky!
They all sound amazing! I would love to try the lime drizzle with courgette xx
The Chocolate Brownie with Beetroot sound amazing!
The Fruit Loaf with Parsnip and Lemon Icing sounds AMAZING!
The chocolate brownies with spinach sounds intriguing xx
Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice
Lemon Drizzle with Courgette sounds an interesting mix…love to try it !!
The Chocolate Brownies with Sweet Potato sound nice.
Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice but they all sound & look great.
It has to be the sweet potato brownies for me. I think as well as sneaking veg in for the kids my fiance would also eat it (if I didn’t tell him what was in it) which would be amazing as it’s only of late I have managed to get him to try new things.
Would love to try carrot cake with vanilla frosting!
Ooo definitely the fruit loaf with parsnip and lemon icing
The apricot and almond with carrot sounds nicest to me.
Lime Drizzle with courgette
Would love to try Chocolate cake and brownie box.
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The carrot cake with vanilla frosting sounds delicious
would love to try the Lemon, Poppy Seed with Sweet Potato cake x
Chocolate Brownies with Beetroot
Carrot Cake With Vanilla Frosting
Lemon, Poppy Seed with Sweet Potato Cake
Wow, these are very different. But CARROT CAKE WITH VANILLA FROSTING and CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH SWEET POTATO sounds delicious.
Chocolate Torte with Aubergine – sounds different and delicious
The chocolate cake and brownies look awesome and yummy x
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the Apricot & Almond with Carrot Slice
love to try the chocolate cake and brownie box
Chocolate brownies with beetroot sound delicious!
The ale and carrot christmas pudding looks interesting would love to try this
The chocolate cake with butternut squash, the flapjacks with courgettes and the gorgeous carrot cake with vanilla frosting sound divine
the Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
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The Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
The carrot cake looks sooo good x
carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Chocolate brownies!
Fruit loaf with parsnip and lemon icing
The carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Lime drizzle and courgette
Carrot cake with vanilla frosting
Like the sound of the
Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
Ale and carrot xmas pudding sounds good and the carrot cake
Carrot cake with vanilla frosting sounds amazing…I LOVE carrot cake!
I’d like to try the Lime Drizzle with Courgette cake.
Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting
The ale and carrot Christmas pudding!
Chocolate Cake and Brownie Box
I would so love to try the brownie box 🙂
chocolate brownie with beetroot
Ale and carrot Christmas pudding…could be a game changer 😳👍😀