Vegan Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

There’s no doubt many of us have a bit of extra time on our hands, and there are very few things more comforting than baking. So, today I’m sharing my well-loved carrot cake with cashew cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients

Sponge

• 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

• 1 1/4 cup plain flour

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup apple sauce

• 1 cup almond milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 cups carrots, grated

Frosting

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour

• 1/4 cup coconut cream

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Other

• 2 tbsp walnuts, for topping

• 1 tbsp pepitas, for topping

• Dried flowers, for topping

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a 20cm cake tin.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the golden raisins and walnuts.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, sugar and oil.

4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the carrots and stir until just combined.

5. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

6. For the frosting, combine all frosting ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and silky. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, then spread of the cake and sprinkle with walnuts, pepitas and flower