For those that know me well, carrot cake is my favourite cake in the world - also known as happy cake. One summer in London my sister and I made it our mission to try every carrot cake we could find around London, and one thing the Brits know how to do well, is bake! Gails + Megans in London tied with the best carrot cake we found! Now I enjoy my local Gjusta Bakery in Venice beach version which is very yummy, but hands down my favourite goes to Erewhon Market, with their GF almond flour, double layer, extra zesty frosting version of my slice of delight. It has been on my list to try and bake my own healthy version of a carrot cake - GF and dairy free. So for Easter weekend I found a GF boxed version of the spice cake mix by Namaste Foods, and I added in all the fresh ingredients, grated carrots, chopped nuts, golden raisins (juicier version). The vegan coconut cashew cream frosting, tastes even better than the cream cheese version! I foraged some flowers, and shaved some carrot noodles, to decorate this beauty, and voila… I am now a baker - well kind of! This whole process was 3 hours, which is why I am not a baker - but it was a very fun Easter Sunday labour of love, and the results were divine! I’ve researched an at home version of the boxed recipe - with a lot less sugar.
GF CAKE MIX
2 cups grated carrots
4 eggs room temp
½ cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup coconut oil melted
¼ cup nut milk of choice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups GF baking flour of choice
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped nuts of choice (hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts work best)
COCONUT CREAM FROSTING
1 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least 3 hours, drained + rinsed
1 cup coconut cream chilled
2.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp coconut oil solid
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon zest
½ tsp sea salt
Toppings
Finely chopped walnuts + pistachios
Iced Carrot noodles
Foraged flowers - get creative!
1. Make your frosting ahead of time. It’s a labour of love for this delicious vegan creamy results. You will need a food processor or high speed blender, blend soaked cashews on high until a paste forms. Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend or process on high for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is super creamy.
2. Pour frosting in a glass bowl, cover and transfer to the freezer for 30 mins. Stir really well and let it thicken. Then pop it back for another 45 mins. This will help thicken when chilled. And will be ready to use when your cake is finished baking.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking dish with parchment paper and coconut oil. I used a rectangle glass pyrex dish - as I cut my cake in two to have the double layer cake.
5. In a medium mixing bowl add dry ingredients - GF flour of choice, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, mix well to combine.
6. In another mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients, eggs beaten, maple syrup, nut milk, coconut oil at room temp and mix well together.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until a smooth batter consistency forms.
8. Next, gently fold in the shredded carrots, golden raisins and chopped nuts. I used hazelnuts.
9. Pour batter into the parchment lined baking dish, and bake in the oven for 30-45mins, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will depend on your oven and your location, so monitor until it’s golden on outside and springs back easily when touched.
10. Once done, remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for around 30 mins - 1 hour.
11. Using the parchment paper, carefully lift the cake from the dish and transfer to a cutting board. Cut directly in half using a sharp knife.
12. Frost the cake with the coconut cream cheese frosting, garnish with finely chopped walnuts + pistachios around the outside, and I foraged some fresh flowers from my garden, and some iced carrot noodles on top for extra pretty decorations!
VOILA, bon appetit! x
Baking tips - let the cake cool down completely before frosting. Mine started to melt from the centre when I made mine - lessons - rookie error!
