Vegan Carrot Cake With Cinnamon-Cashew Frosting Recipe

For the cake, you will need ground flaxseed, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. These dry ingredients are moistened with canola (or other neutral-flavored) oil, unsweetened oat or almond milk, granulated and brown sugar, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped raw walnuts, and golden raisins add texture and structure to the cake. It's important that you finely shred the carrots so that they will cook quickly during baking. If you prefer a different nut, such as pecans or hazelnuts, feel free to substitute for the walnuts. Kinnaird likes the subtle flavor of the golden raisins in this recipe, but regular raisins will work just fine.

For the frosting, use raw, whole cashews for soaking. Roasted or salted cashews will not work for this recipe. Fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar add a tangy flavor reminiscent of cream cheese. Use full-fat coconut cream, as the fat helps the icing set up along with virgin coconut oil. Confectioners' sugar gives the frosting its sweetness, and ground cinnamon adds flavor and a bit of color.

Making marzipan carrots is optional, but these add such great visual appeal and whimsy! They're quite easy to make using a prepared roll of marzipan (make sure it is vegan-friendly and does not contain gelatin) and plant-based food coloring. Additional ground cinnamon is brushed on the finished carrots to give them a just-pulled-from-the-ground effect!

Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender or food processor along with the lemon juice, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Process until a paste forms.

Whisk the frosting smooth and freeze for an additional 30 minutes. Repeat the process 3 times in total.

Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans by coating the insides with baking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment circles.

In a separate, medium bowl, cover the golden raisins with hot water and plump while the flaxseed meal is sitting.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves.

Once the frosting has thickened and is very cold, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip until the frosting is light and thick.

To make the marzipan carrots, add a small amount of red and yellow food coloring to a golf ball–sized piece of marzipan, and knead to create an orange dough, wearing gloves, if desired.

Roll small balls of orange dough about the size of a hazelnut, and then form them into a carrot shape.

Roll thin pieces of the green dough into stem shapes and insert them into the holes in the carrot tops.

Vegan baking can be challenging, especially replicating the textures and flavors of traditional baked goods. Kinnaird shares some tips for success that she has learned through years of experimenting with plant-based recipes. First, choose recipes that lend themselves to vegan substitutes. If you have a cake or cookie recipe that relies on a high percentage of eggs or butter, it might yield disappointment in the end. Instead, choose a recipe like this vegan carrot cake that has a variety of ingredients and a flavor and texture profile that allows for greater substitution. 

 Don't overmix your doughs or batters. Often, high-speed mixing for cakes or doughs is necessary for creating structure without eggs, but this kind of preparation can lead to tough textures without eggs. Flax eggs are a go-to egg substitute for Kinnaird. Learn to love flavors that come from different fats, such as nut butters and oils, flaxseed, refined coconut oil, and coconut cream. Keep your pantry well-stocked. 

When making vegan frosting, experiment with ingredients other than vegan butter! Soaked nuts like the cashews in this recipe can deliver amazing results, as can almonds or macadamia nuts. Investing in a high-speed blender helps delivers a silky-smooth texture. The frosting in this recipe requires some patience. Multiple cooling, whisking, and high-speed whipping sessions may seem tedious, but this process allows the fat to hold better at room temperature and allows plenty of air to incorporate.