When it comes to Instagram foodies, Ashley Alexander is considered top tier stuff. The Australian foodie, recipe developer, and stylist is known for her mouthwatering posts that often include detailed recipes that leave no cook behind.
View this post on Instagram
🥕 SPICED CARROT CAKE 🥕 with a drizzle of honey ✨🍯 i’ve topped mine with coconut yoghurt, ribboned carrots, crushed walnuts, pumpkin seeds, rosemary, + a generous drizzle of honey 😍 this loaf is also gluten + dairy-free & deliciously dense. here's the full recipe… enjoy! x⠀ ⠀ ⠀ INGREDIENTS⠀ ⠀ 100ml extra virgin olive oil⠀ 3 large eggs⠀ 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar (or raw / brown sugar)⠀ 2 cups almond meal⠀ 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (or another flour of your choice – plain, spelt, or wholemeal – if not worried about gluten)⠀ 1 tsp baking powder⠀ 1 tbs cinnamon⠀ 1 tsp allspice⠀ 1/2 tsp sea salt⠀ 1/2 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)⠀ 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ⠀ 2 1/2 cups grated carrot (about 3 carrots)⠀ 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped⠀ 1/3 cup milk of your choice⠀ ⠀ ⠀ METHOD⠀ ⠀ Preheat oven to 180C / 350F (fan forced).⠀ Line a loaf tin (23cm x 13cm / 9 inches x 5 1/2 inches) with baking paper, set aside.⠀ In a large mixing bowl whisk the olive oil, eggs, and sugar, until well combined.⠀ Add the remaining ingredients and fold together to combine.⠀ Pour the mixture into the pre-prepared tin and bake in the oven for 60 minutes.⠀ Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool before turning the loaf out.⠀ You can serve this loaf warm fresh from the oven or allow to cool completely in the fridge overnight.⠀ Top with a thick layer of coconut yoghurt or super thick natural yoghurt or mascarpone.⠀ Top with carrot ribbons, walnuts, fresh rosemary sprigs, and a generous drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup.
A post shared by Ashley Alexander | Recipes (@gatherandfeast) on Sep 21, 2020 at 8:28pm PDT
“I believe enjoying beautiful food with the people I love is one of life’s simple pleasures,” writes Alexander on her website. “Many of my fondest memories are from around the kitchen table; meaningful moments spent while sharing a meal with others.”
View this post on Instagram
recipe highlight ✨🍰 LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE with zesty cream cheese frosting 😍 one of our family favs + perfect for the holidays! topped with a lush cream cheese frosting but you could also serve it without the frosting as more of a tea cake or served with fresh cream on the side. here's the recipe + you can also find it on my website along with a step-by-step video x⠀ ⠀ ⠀ INGREDIENTS⠀ ⠀ CAKE⠀ 1 cup extra virgin olive oil⠀ 1¼ cups raw castor sugar or castor sugar⠀ 1 tbs vanilla paste or extract⠀ Zest of 2 lemons⠀ 3 eggs⠀ 2 cups plain flour⠀ ½ cup almond meal⠀ 1 tsp of baking powder⠀ ½ tsp bi-carb soda⠀ ½ tsp sea salt⠀ 1 cup thick natural greek yoghurt⠀ Juice of 2 lemons (about ½ cup juice)⠀ 125g fresh raspberries (or blackberries)⠀ ⠀ ZESTY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING⠀ 750g cream cheese⠀ ¾ cup icing sugar⠀ 1 tbs vanilla bean paste⠀ 2 tbs lemon juice⠀ Zest of 1 lemon (or 2, for extra ‘zestiness’)⠀ ⠀ TO ASSEMBLE⠀ 125g fresh raspberries or blackberries to decorate (optional)⠀ ⠀ ⠀ METHOD⠀ ⠀ CAKE⠀ Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (fan-forced).⠀ In a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla, and whisk well until combined.⠀ Add the eggs and whisk until combined and smooth.⠀ Fold in the flour, almond meal, baking powder, bi-carb soda, and sea salt.⠀ Gently stir through the yoghurt and lemon juice until smooth.⠀ Then gently fold through the raspberries.⠀ Pour mixture into a pre-lined 23cm / 9inch round cake tin.⠀ Bake for 1hr, until a skewer, comes out clean.⠀ Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.⠀ ⠀ ZESTY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING⠀ Beat the cream cheese until smooth.⠀ Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until smooth.⠀ Add the icing sugar and lemon zest and beat until super smooth.⠀ Set aside until ready to use.⠀ ⠀ TO ASSEMBLE⠀ Place the completely cooled cake onto a serving plate.⠀ Top with the frosting and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.⠀ Top the cake with fresh raspberries. Serve and enjoy!
A post shared by Ashley Alexander | Recipes (@gatherandfeast) on Oct 28, 2020 at 6:48pm PDT
Indeed, when it comes to her upbringing, she admits to spending a lot of her formative years in the kitchen, cooking up a storm with her mum. A self-taught cook, Alexander recalls preparing three-course meals for dinner parties by the time she was 12!
“Whether it’s a quiet night in with friends or an extravagant Christmas lunch celebrating with extended family, these moments are treasured and are almost always centered around food,” she reflects.
According to Alexander, her love for food has inspired her to try new things and push her cooking skills, which now puts an emphasis on baking (her cakes alone have got us drooling!). With most of us homebound these days, now is a great time to refine our cooking skills and head to the kitchen!
