Carrot Cake
Springtime and Easter always have me craving carrot cake, maybe it's the bunny-carrot connection, or maybe some things just belong to a season. Either way, carrot cake has earned a permanent spot in my top five favorite desserts (banana cake holds the crown, but that's a story for another day). Here's a little secret: this is a plant-based cake, but I rarely lead with that. The moment people hear "vegan," they picture something dry and flavorless, and this cake is the total opposite. It's moist, rich, and deeply satisfying. You can easily make it gluten-free using barley, oat flour, or a blend. I've done it and it works beautifully, though I personally love the texture of this version just a little more. If you're a raisin fan, feel free to stir in ½ to 1 cup. I'll pass, since raisins belong in oatmeal cookies and nowhere else. I hope this cake brings you joy, and maybe even a little nostalgia. Carrot cake was the thing in the '70s and '80s, and honestly? It still is. 🥕
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup drained crushed pineapple (save the juice)
1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans)
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup organic sugar or coconut sugar
1 cup organic brown sugar
3 eggs from plants or flax/chia ‘eggs’
1/2 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients for the frosting:
1 cup (8 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, (approximately, you may need a bit less or a bit more depending on humidity, altitude & temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
a pinch of orange rind (optional)
Drained pineapple juice
Garnish with chopped nuts and carrot ribbons or shredded carrots, if desired
Directions for the frosting:
Beat the butter (room temperature) until creamy. Add the plant based cream cheese (Toffuti, Miyoko’s, Kitehill or Trader Joe’s brands are all good), add the vanilla extract and orange zest (optional). Beat until creamed with the butter. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until you have the desired consistency, it it’s too thick add some the drained pineapple juice 1 tsp at a time, if it’s too thin add a bit more powdered sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Directions for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9 inch cake pans (I use coconut oil spray) or 24 muffin tins
For the flax ‘eggs’ use 1 Tbsp flax meal and 3 Tbsp of water for each ‘egg’ (you can grind the seeds in a food processor). You can also use an egg replacer or chia ‘eggs’. Mix the flax and water and set aside until it’s a gelatinous texture.
In large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and flax ‘eggs’ beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in carrots. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Pour evenly into cake pans or muffin tins, with muffin liners. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For muffins bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack, frost, sprinkle with nuts and ribbons of carrots if desired and, Enjoy!
Why Organic?
Some people think that buying organic produce and products is hype, I am not one of them. I buy organic whenever possible, not only does it taste better, it’s better for the environment and most of the time it is affordable. The difference is usually only $.20 -.50/ lb or bunch, that is not expensive.
Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an updated list of the 12 most contaminated foods, here’s this years list:
The 2019 Dirty Dozen:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
(Strawberries rank number one for the fourth year in a row, and the rest of the list looks similar to years past with one exception: Kale made the top 12 for the first time in a decade.)
If you're concerned about pesticides, the EWG also publishes a list of the "Clean 15," a.k.a. the produce from conventional growers that generally had less residue in the group's tests.
The 2019 Clean 15:
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Frozen sweet peas
Onions
Papayas
Eggplants
Asparagus
Kiwis
Cabbages
Cauliflower
Cantaloupes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Honeydew melons
If you’re juicing I think it’s extremely important to use organic produce because you do not want a concentration of pesticides and chemicals in your juice, I’d say that pretty much defeats the purpose. I’m a big believer in farmers markets, I try to go at least once a week. When my kids were tiny we loved going to the Redland’s farmers market then hit Trader Joe’s on the way home (because it was the closest one, thank God we have closer ones now)! Check out your local farmers markets, it’s super easy…..there are free app locators, just search the App Store.
Sources: www.ewg.org, www.organic.org