Paleo Baking in the Backcountry

The thought of backpacking trail food as I remember from my youth does not conjure up anything close to gourmet ... or even tasty to be honest.  Calories and fuel for the body were my main concern when I backpacked the Appalachian Trail back in my teens.  As an adult, my trips in the back-country usually have consisted of dried staples and products readily available from a local grocer - think ramen noodle, mac n' cheese or a hamburger helper.  Definitely nothing to write home about.

Sweets or a dessert item were usually never a part of my trail food aside from an occasional candy bar or stale tasty cake or cinnamon bun in a plastic wrapper from a convenience store - filled with loads of unknown and unpronounceable ingredients to preserve shelf life.

With my sights set on healthy eating and wanting to keep as much as possible to a Paleo diet, I have put quite a lot of time into thinking about how I can eat healthy on the trail.  I decided that I shouldn't limit myself to just one pot meals and wondered if including a healthy dessert would be possible?  Part of that effort has been to reach out to various companies that make healthy and great tasting products.

I had this idea - what about baking in the back-country??  No, I wouldn't be carrying a cast iron Dutch oven or a complete set of measuring cups and spoons.  Mixers, egg beaters and cake pans were out of the question.

I've had the opportunity and blessing to connect with the great folks at Paleo Baking Co.  Their delicious paleo cake and muffin mixes are gluten, grain, dairy, refined sugar and soy free and recipes include: Banana, Blueberry, Carrot Cake, Chocolate, Hazelnut, Lemon/Poppy Seed, and Spice Cake.  Working with them, I have been testing various flavors to see how I could get their mixes outside!

Testing started in my kitchen to determine how much mix was needed for a small cake that I could bake while out on the trail.  I did the math and figured out the best way was to split up a package.  Since most of the bags require 6 eggs, I split the mix into 6 smaller portion, so each bag will provide 6 small cakes.  This smaller batch fits nicely into the 4 inch baking round that I will be using on my AT Thru-hike.  I've tested several of the mixes at home with a toaster oven (to simulate uneven heat) and they all turned out great.  On the trail, I will either use coals and heat from a campfire, or steam cook the cake mix within my cookset on my camp stove.

Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to get out for a short backpack along the Haw River in the Piedmont area of North central North Carolina and near the North Carolina Mountain to Sea Trail.  I took along the chocolate mix and was able to mix up and test out baking on the trail for the first time.  I build a nice campfire and used it as my heat source for baking.  The chocolate cake (1/6 of a bag) turned out fantastic and tasted great.  Most of the mixes need an egg, coconut oil, and honey and then fresh fruit depending on the mix.  Carrying a 1/2 dozen eggs should be easy enough and small containers with oil and honey will be planned additions to my 'camp' kitchen anyhow.

After dinner, I prepared the batter and set it on the campfire to 'bake'.  I found after 10 minutes or so that the top and center were 'baking' slower than the edges.

I placed the top from my cook-pot on top of the 4" baking round to trap the heat and help simulate an oven environment.  30 minutes later and a few turns to ensure even 'baking' and my trail-side dessert was ready.  As temperatures dipped into the low 40s, I ended the evening with a small chocolate cake and cup of hot tea.  It was absolutely delicious and a perfect way to end the day.

 
I have a feeling that evening cake will be a regular occurrence as I hike North on the AT next Spring.

"In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd." 
- Miguel de Cervantes

- The Other One