a healthier take on carrot cake with vegan frosting

7:56 AM

You may have noticed that recently I've been dipping my toes more and more in the vegan pool. As I continue to breastfeed Teddy (who has a dairy protein intolerance) I miss my old dairy-filled standbys more and more and find myself searching for a replacement. 
Just this week I finally discovered the beauty of homemade cashew cream and I am hooked! I've already used it in two recipes - one savory and one sweet. It couldn't be easier to make and tastes delightful! 
Although this recipe is not completely vegan (it has eggs in the cake batter) it is dairy free and absolutely delicious! The carrot cake is a recipe I have been tweaking for a few years now and I hope you'll love it as much as we do!
cake
1 c grated carrots
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs at room temp
1/2 c honey
1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c chopped nuts of choice

vegan frosting*
1/2 c raw macadamia nuts (soaked, drained and rinsed)
1/2 c raw cashews (soaked, drained and rinsed)
1/4 c almond milk
1/4 c maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two small loaf pans or two small cake pans.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer beat eggs on high until foamy (about 1 minute). Add honey and continue beating on medium-high for another three minutes. Lower speed and canola oil, vanilla and applesauce. 
Add the flower mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until fully incorporated. Finally, use a spatula to gently fold in the carrots and nuts. 
Divide the batter in half and pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

For the frosting 
Before you start soak the cashews and macadamia nuts in equal parts water for 30 minutes to an hour (the longer they soak the creamier it will be). When you're ready drain the nuts and rinse them briefly. Then combine frosting ingredients into a high speed blender. Start the blender on low and gradually increase speed (the mixture will be very thick at first). You can add an extra tablespoon of almond milk if necessary to get your blade moving. Taste and add more sugar or lemon to make it more sweet and/or tangy. Blend until very smooth.
Once the cake has cooled frost it and enjoy with a glass of almond milk!



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