Kate Hackworthy’s Veggie Desserts + Cakes

I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time. Even before Kate was commissioned to write it, many of us fans of her blog were clamouring for her to write one, keen to see her unusual and innovative recipes in print. Pavilion Books have really brought Kate’s vision to life – the book is as beautiful and delicious as I’d hoped.

Although others have since jumped on the bandwagon, Kate’s been creating her unique vegetable-based desserts and cakes for several years, taking us far beyond the familiar examples of carrot cake and zucchini bread to give us such delights as chocolate butternut squash cake, cauliflower and banana bundt, lemon and stinging nettle cupcakes with lavender icing, and parsnip madeira cake.

As a mum of two young children, Kate is keen to give her family fresh and healthy food but instead of disguising vegetables, she makes them the star of the show, using them in sweet treats in ways that are utterly unexpected but enormously delicious!

VeggieDesserts cover

Although some of the ideas in Veggie Desserts + Cakes seem fantastically strange, all of her whimsical combinations have been thoroughly taste tested. For her first book she has created 60 original recipes, divided into chapters for Cakes, Cupcakes, Cookies, Squares and Traybakes, Pies and Pastries, Frozen Desserts and More Sweet Treats.

Each recipe has a personal introduction, and most are accompanied by vibrant sunny photographs, all the better to show off the gorgeous effect of their star vegetables (plus a few isolated fruits here and there – mostly ones we tend to think of as savoury, such as avocado and cucumber). Styling by Emily Kydd and photography by Clare Winfield certainly do justice to Kate’s colourful recipes, though I confess I miss Kate’s own recipe photography, which often uses darker surfaces and backdrops to striking effect.

As befits a domestic cook, Kate’s recipes are all developed and tested in a regular home kitchen, using the kind of basic equipment most keen cooks have to hand or can readily buy without too much investment. Good knives, a hand blender and mini processor will see you through most recipes. Add an ice cream machine and waffle iron to make some of the non-baking ones.

The recipe we made on the weekend worked flawlessly and was even more delicious than we hoped – no surprise given the popularity and reliability of the recipes she’s been sharing for years. It was also a great reminder of how exciting and joyful it can be to discover new and unexpectedly successful flavour combinations; a fitting reminder to dare to be different!

Recipes from Veggie Desserts + Cakes

Pavilion have given us permission to share two of Kate’s recipes:

Here’s a preview of the pea and mint cupcakes, as made by us last weekend!

Pea and Mint Cupcakes with Rose Water Buttercream on Kavey Eats (4)

Other Recipes From The Book

I’m not the only blogger who’s eagerly been anticipating Kate’s book launch, and indeed many of us have come together to create a virtual book tour to celebrate and share the book with our audiences – something I’m fully behind having read the book and been so captivated by it.

If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote at the end.

Kavey Eats received a review copy of Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy (RRP £14.99) from publisher Pavilion Books.

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17 Comments to "Kate Hackworthy’s Veggie Desserts + Cakes"

  1. Emily

    Wow, what a beautiful book and so interesting I had no idea you could make so many sweet desserts from all those veggies. Thanks so much for the review this will be a perfect gift for someone I know.

    Reply
  2. Kate

    Thank you for such a lovely review, Kavey! You’ve brought a tear to my eye 🙂 Your support means so much to me xx

    Reply
  3. Tara

    Such a fun book! I love the cover! Those Pea and Mint Cupcakes look incredible. Especially paired with the rose water buttercream.

    Reply
  4. Choclette

    It’s such an exciting book with so many interesting recipes. Love the idea of pea cupcakes. And what a good idea to do a giveaway!

    Reply
  5. kellie@foodtoglow

    What a stunning recreation of Kate’s recipe – gorgeous teaser pic! I look forward to seeing your double recipe post. I adore Kate’s book so much and have tried two recipes – Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with Cherry Icing *and* Sweet Potato and Salted Hazelnut Cookies. In fact, I’ve made three different sorts of tweaky batches of the latter! I just know that anyone who buys this book will get a lot of use – and joy – from it.

    Reply
  6. Lisa Feinson

    I’ve made her cucumber and mint cupcakes, and they were a huge hit at work. Summer in a cake! These sound delicious, and I’ll try them when we’re allowed fat in the house again. 😉

    I’m going to have a go at a cauliflower cake soon, if I can stop husband from eating all the cauliflower raw.

    Reply
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  8. Pascal Lavandier

    Hello and thank you for the recipe of butternut squash chocolate cake was the success only put less sugar for my Wife but very nice I will try more recipes bon appetit

    Reply

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