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NEXT MAIN MENU PREVIOUS Carrot Cake Since I found a bunch of food processor blades at a resale shop, I have found that I no longer dread shredding veggies. One, two, three, done. Latkes? Easy peasy. Carrot cake? Same thing. Even without a shredding blade or even a food processor, though, this carrot cake is more than worth the effort. Fluffy, succulent, full of aromatic spices and sweet carrots, this cake manages to be a whole food treat without tasting like it. Because I am gluten-free, that was how I developed the cake, but feel free to try any flour or flour combination. The VeganEgg adds a rich depth of flavor so I highly recommend using it; the xanthan gum adds moisture and structure to gluten-free dough. It will work without it, though, and if you bake this with regular wheat flour, you can omit because it is replacing what gluten provides. Don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients: this is an easy and affordable cake.   Carrot Cake 1 ½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend or flour of choice 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (recommended but optional) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup pure maple syrup ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 1 prepared VeganEgg (2 tablespoons VeganEgg powder + ½ cup ice cold water) ½ cup raisins or dried fruit of preference ½ cup toasted pecans or nuts of preference 2 cups shredded carrots (this was about four medium carrots for me) Cashew Cream Frosting 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in two cups water for an hour and drained 2 tablespoons plain, non-dairy milk 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons softened refined coconut oil (optional) Begin soaking your cashews. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13"-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and salt. Then mix in the maple syrup, vanilla, applesauce and VeganEgg. Mix until almost combined, then add the raisins, pecans and carrots, folding until fully mixed. I find using a silicone spatula/scraper works great for this. Bake for 23 minutes. Allow to cool. While cooling, making your frosting by combining all the ingredients in your blender. Blend on high until smooth. When the cake is fully cooled, frost. Refrigerate until all is chilled, about an hour, cut and serve.   © 2013-2017, Vegan Street