The Best Vegan Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp warm water)
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry   or  organic unbleached flour
• 1 Tbps pumpkin pie spice
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup  maple syrup
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup raisins

For The Frosting

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or plant-based milk of choice
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

  instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare your cake pan(s) by lining the bottom of the pans with  parchment paper . Use one 9×13-inch pan, two 8-inch round pans, or three 6-inch round pans.
  2. Shred the carrots, make your flax eggs, and then set them aside.
  3. To a large bowl add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder , baking soda, and salt and whisk  everything together.
  4. Mix the non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, sugar, and maple syrup  together in a large measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the flax eggs, and mix until everything is just combined.
  5. Add the shredded carrots, pineapple, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins then gently mix everything together until it forms a thick cake batter.
  6. Spoon the batter evenly into your prepared pan(s). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. You want the top to be a deep golden brown without any wiggling or jiggling.
  7. For the frosting: While the carrot cake is baking go ahead and make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Simply add all of the frosting ingredients to a high-speed  blender and process until it’s completely smooth and creamy. Place the frosting in the fridge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so it set up all nice and firm.
  8. Remove from the oven and let the cake(s) sit in the pan(s) for at least 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the edges and gently flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  9. Once the cake has completely cooled you may frost the cake however you desire.