Vegan Carrot Cake

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

For the vegan folks out there, here is my version of carrot cake which I think came out pretty well. It was dense, moist and not overly sweet which is the best part in my opinion. This recipe is adapted from my carrot cake post with a few adjustments to accommodate my friends who are currently on the no-dairy and no-egg diet for lent. It was a challenge to find ways of making sure the cake does not stay flat since I'm omitting one of the components that help make the cake come together and give it a light texture. Overall, it came out wonderfully and I will not hesitate to make this again on a regular basis for health reasons.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

The frosting is a challenge since the combination of confectioner's sugar and Tofutti cream cheese results to a very wet frosting. The addition of vegan butter actually holds the frosting together and you end up with a creamy frosting that is almost as good when made with real cream cheese. Addition of lemon zest perks up the flavor which masks the fact that you are using vegetable-based products as substitute for the dairy component.

Vegan Carrot Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder*
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup crushed pineapple, pureed
3 cup carrots, shredded
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans and line the bottom 
    with wax paper. Grease the paper. Set aside.

2. In your mixer bowl, Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking pwder, cinnamon, 
    and salt. Using the paddle attachment, add the oil and pineapple puree. 
    Increase the speed to medium and beat until well mixed.

3. Lower the speed to medium and add the carrots. Mix until well mixed. 
    Add the vanilla and mix one last time. 

4. Divide the batter into the two pans and bake for 45 minutes. Cool in the
    pan on a wire rack.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8-oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick vegan buttery sticks, diced
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, diced

1. In a clean mixer bowl, combine the cream cheese and at low speed with 
    the whisk attachment, add the confectioner's sugar until fully 
    incorporated. 

2. Increase the speed to high and add the diced buttery sticks until fully 
    incorporated. Beat until the frosting has thickened. Add the vanilla and
    the zest and beat until just incorporated. Set aside.

To assemble the cake, loosen the cake by running a spatula between the baking pan and the cake. Invert the cake onto a cooking rack and invert the cake back onto a serving platter. Spread with a third of the frosting and top with the second cake. Frost the cake all over and smoothen the top with a spatula. Press the diced walnuts onto the sides of the cake. Set aside in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. 

*It has come to my attention that I used baking powder when I should have used baking soda. The cake was actually very tasty and very moist. You may venture to try and see if using a baking soda will improve the texture of the cake which is a bit dense but I will leave it up to you. Taste-wise, this cake was delicious!