Vegan Carrot Cake with Tofu Cream Cheese Frosting
Thanks to Michelle Hickey-Fouts for sharing this recipe!
Michelle says: “This is a delicious cake that I bring to many gatherings. No one knows it is vegan! Feel free to play with the recipe. The original adds raisins and pineapples and a bit more nutmeg and cloves, but we didn't like it that way. I often mix up the flours as well, adding oat and spelt with the others to make up 2 cups total. The frosting is altered from the original as well to make it easier.”
Cake:
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup soy milk
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Tofu Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 cups Tofutti Cream cheese
2 tablespoons safflower oil or Spectrum spread
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, combine the soy milk, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir well to combine. Mix in the carrots and walnuts (if using). Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks for about 30 minutes.
To prepare the frosting, blend cream cheese until fluffy, slowly add sugar, oil and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Chill for at least 20 minutes.
Place one cake layer on a plate and spread a 1/4-inch thick layer of frosting over it. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake. Sprinkle walnuts on the top, if desired.
Makes one 9-inch layer cake.
Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook.