The bounty from our homely little community garden is now in high gear, and it’s got me all fired up ‘n dreamin’ ’bout new recipes usin’ fresh, home-grown veggies.
Y’all, this succulent, spiced carrot cake topped with vegan cream cheese icing is one of my most loved new concoctions.
This here cake is just right in every aspect. It has a superb texture, packed full o’ flavours, spicy but not too hot with a cream cheese icing that just sets the whole thing off perfectly.
It’s the ideal recipe for movin’ on from summer into fall, mixin’ the taste of fresh produce with those warm, autumnal spice combinations.
For this recipe here I opted to use some gluten free flour, but don’t ya worry if you ain’t got any – it’ll turn out just as scrumptious if you use regular white all purpose flour instead.
Now I gotta be straight up honest y’all – I used store bought carrots for the cake you see in these pictures since I couldn’t stop snackin’ on our community garden ones before they made it home.
The cake didn’t last long neither. We gathered for an evening picnic out yonder in a park and that cake was history within 10 minutes.
Vegan Spiced Carrot Cake (Gluten Free) Recipe
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Serves
1 cake
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
- 3 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup margarine
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
- ⅔ cup apple sauce
For the cream cheese icing:
- ¾ cup macadamia nuts (soaked)
- ½ cup plant-based cream (I used soy)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 175˚C.
- For the cake mix 3 Tbsp ground flax seeds and 6 Tbsp water in a glass or bowl and set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the white and light brown sugar and margarine.
- Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, the ground flax seeds mixture and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Grate carrots (the number of carrots varies depending on their size) and add 2 cups of grated carrots and ⅔ cup apple sauce to the cake batter.
- Mix again and pour/scape the batter into a greased cake pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the cream cheese icing soak the macadamia nuts overnight or boil them for 10 minutes.
- Add the nuts, cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, maple syrup and salt to a blender of food-processor and blitz until smooth and creamy.
- Let the cake cool completely, then add the icing. Enjoy!
If you’re in the mood for something sweet and vegan-friendly, I’ve got a few recipes that are sure to satisfy your cravings.
First, try out my Vegan German Apple Crumble Pie recipe. It’s a delightful blend of crunchy crumble and sweet, tangy apples.
Or perhaps you’d enjoy my Vegan Brownie Black Forest Cheesecake Sundaes recipe; it’s a decadent dessert with rich chocolate brownies topped with cherry cheesecake.
For something chilled and refreshing, give my Vegan Berry Coconut Froyo Granola Popsicles recipe a go. These popsicles are packed full of fruity flavors and coconut goodness.
And finally, for an indulgent breakfast treat or midday snack, don’t miss out on my Vegan Granola Berry Cheesecake Breakfast Bars recipe.
They’re as delicious as they sound!
