Vegan Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cashew Icing Recipe
This Vegan Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cashew Icing Recipe is as tasty as it is beautiful. With fresh carrot, ground ginger, and walnuts, it’s full of flavor! For more plant-based, springtime desserts, try this Rhubarb & Raspberry Crumble and this recipe for Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Homemade Strawberry Jam.
Vegan Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cashew Icing
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 416kcal
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 tablespoons ground chia seeds
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil , plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup agave
- ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¾ cup demerara sugar (or raw cane sugar)
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1½ cups grated carrot , tightly packed
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour
- 1½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour , plus more for the pan
- ¾ cup walnuts , chopped
For the icing:
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked overnight and strained
- ¼ cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
- 4-6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup walnuts , chopped (optional for topping)
- Decorative gluten-free sprinkles (optional for topping)
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9-inch Bundt pan with coconut oil and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set aside.
- Combine ground chia and water in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Wait at least 10 minutes for consistency to become egg-like.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil, agave, apple sauce, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, almond milk, and chia mixture. Whisk to combine. Add grated carrot and flours and mix to combine. (Batter should resemble a normal batter consistency; if too thick, add splashes of additional almond milk. Mine was perfect using the recommended ¾ cup almond milk.) Pour in chopped walnuts and stir.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before flipping the cake to remove from pan.
- While the cake cools, make the icing. In a blender, add soaked and strained cashews, coconut milk, vanilla, agave, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Blend or pulse to combine. Slowly pour in 4-6 tablespoons almond milk until icing blends into a smooth, creamy, and pourable mixture. (I used 6 tablespoons almond milk total.)
- Gently pour the icing over the cake, using enough to coat the cake as desired (I used about ¾ of the icing mixture). Top cake with chopped walnuts and decorative sprinkles, if desired. Slice cake and serve with remaining icing.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cashew Icing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 416
Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Sodium 373mg16%
Potassium 253mg7%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 2675IU54%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 128mg13%
Iron 2.7mg15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer: All nutrition facts on Gluten Free & More are meant only as a guide and may differ depending on product brands used or ingredient substitutions. Some errors may occur, so you are encouraged to confirm the recipe’s ingredient and nutrition suitability for your own diet.
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