Vegan Carrot Cake with Orange Cashew Icing

Ingredients

(DRY)
120g spelt flour or plain flour
2Tbsp. (20g) tapioca starch
1 tsp aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp pink salt

(WET)
70g coconut sugar
70g neutral oil
100g grated carrots
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed*, mix with 2.5 Tbsp. water and set aside
(Other)
30-50g roasted walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tsp white vinegar

Icing
100g Raw cashews (soaked 2-5 hours and rinsed)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
Two pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. =15ml

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190⁰C. Line a tin (8cm x 17.5 cm x h6cm loaf pan) with baking paper.

2. In a bowl, place all the wet ingredients and the flax egg and mix well.

3. Add the shifted dry ingredients (If your batter is too dry, leave for 1-2 minutes. It it’s still too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp. plant milk). Add in walnuts and vinegar.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake at 190⁰C for 30 minutes and reduce the temperature to 180⁰C and bake 10-15 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. After cooling the cake, wrap and cool it in the fridge over night. (You can eat it on the same day, but it tastes better after next day)

6. Place all the ingredients for the icing in a food processor and blend well until smooth. Place in the fridge overnight to thicken.( If you make 2x the amount, use a blender for better texture)

7. The next day, spread the frosting over the cake.
*If you use ground chia seeds instead of ground flaxseeds, your batter might be dry. If so, add a few Tbsp of plant milk.

Recipe and Photo by Minako Umehara @365cleaneats