Vegetables have never been more popular, with the interest in natural, plant-based food at an all-time high. Meanwhile, the appetite for home baking shows no signs of abating.

Vegetables have never been more popular, with the interest in natural, plant-based food at an all-time high. Meanwhile, the appetite for home baking shows no signs of abating.

Food writer Kate Hackworthy, author of the popular site www.veggiedesserts.co.uk, has found a delicious way to combine the two, with this book of scrumptious cakes and desserts packed full of healthy veg.

Pushing the boundaries of carrot cake, Kate puts vegetables into cakes, muffins, biscuits, tarts, brownies, pastries and even ice cream. Vegetables bring moisture, natural sweetness and extra nutrients to your baking, with the happy consequence that less refined sugar and fat is required, resulting in great-tasting treats that are also a lot less naughty.

With 60 original recipes, including vegan options, virtuous snacks and lighter ways to bake cakes, this book is not about sneaking veggies into recipes, but celebrating them as hero ingredients and making them as much a part of dessert as they are of dinner.

Recipes include:

Kale and Apple Cake with Apple Icing
Butternut Squash Spiced Muffins
Black Bean Chocolate Brownies
Avocado Key Lime Tarts
Turmeric, Carrot and Orange Ice Lollies
Cauliflower Chocolate Churros

Word count: Approx 25,000