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!
Banana Nut Bread
If you have super ripe bananas and don’t want to freeze them, making banana bread is the way to go! Banana cake with cream cheese frosting is my absolute favorite dessert, so I’ve tried lots of banana cake and banana bread recipes and this one is my favorite, I’ve been making it for years and it comes out perfectly every time!
Making this completely plant based was pretty easy. Instead of eggs I use “flax or chia eggs” or Eggs from plants egg substitute.
This is a great recipe for doubling, that’s what I usually do because this goes fast around here! For the flour I use 1 cup of whole wheat and 1/2 cup of unbleached, but you can use all unbleached or all whole wheat. I never use all purpose in anything. You can make it gluten free by using barley flour or another flour you prefer. When I make it gluten free I add another “egg” flax, chia or egg substitute, otherwise it’s more crumbly that I like.
I only use non-aluminum baking powder. We like walnuts but you can try pecans. You can add chocolate chunks or chips. If you do it’s kinda like Chunky Monkey ice-cream in bread form.
Banana Bread
1 cup ripe mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)
1 flax egg (1Tbsp flax seeds & 3Tbsp water)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and add bananas, oil and flax egg. Mix until combined, add nuts. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and fold in batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!I