The prospect of continually eating cake and continually having more of it always appeals to the feminine-logic side of my nature – from Sylvia Plath’s journals, 1954.

If you’re not already a fan of Natasha Pickowicz’s work, take this as your sign to familiarize yourself with her incredible recipes and unique food philosophy. She’s spreading her gospel through wildflower-laden cakes and desserts made with a wholesome, familial intention.

To kick off a series where I eat my way through my favorite cookbooks, I made the coconut carrot cake from Pickowicz’s debut cookbook More than Cake. It was surprisingly easy – don’t be alarmed by the total time because that includes cooling. There’s a special place in heaven for chefs who translate Fahrenheit to Celsius because even after years of engineering, I can’t be bothered to do the conversion in my head. Especially with baking (versus cooking), I highly recommend mis en place because it really does cut the clean-up time in half. I also like to do all my pouring and measuring over a large tray – so your kitchen is not covered in edible dust or sticky streaks of batter by the time you’re done.

I read More than Cake and the poetry of Anne Sexton at the same time, alternating between the two texts. As Sexton’s sharp and searing words ripped me apart verse by verse, Pickowicz’s thoughtful, loving recipes stitched me back, seam by seam.

Every morsel of this crumbly cake is bound to do the same – so make it and pair it with espresso, instant cappuccino or a milky black tea. I cannot overstate the bliss that will follow.

I topped my loaf with whipped cream, oven-glazed carrots, nuts, and golden raisins. You can find a similar recipe here and adjust quantities as needed.