Guest post by Susan Conley
Today I have a special guest post by Susan Conley, the creator of cookthestone.com, sharing with SevenRoses’ readers an amazing recipe which is not only Vegan but also Gluten-free. Now, please welcome Susan as she shares her Carrot Cake with Cashew Frosting and Walnuts step-by-step recipe with us!
Following a Vegan diet can be quite challenging. What more if you have celiac disease? I have a friend who follows a vegan and celiac diet, and I know the sacrifices he had to endure. When she was diagnosed with celiac disease, she had to avoid foods that used to be part of her diet like bread, pasta and cake.
Avoiding cake, in particular, was a big deal for her because she has a sweet tooth. She mentioned how it was hard for her to adjust her diet at first.
The good thing is that vegan and gluten free cakes have become aplenty in the past few years. Just like this carrot cake with cashew frosting and walnuts recipe that I am to share with you.
You will take about an hour to finish this recipe—about 40 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. You’ll end up with a rectangle cake measuring 9 x 13 inches.
The cake itself is moist and flavorful. It also has a vegan frosting made of soy-free cream cheese that makes the cake even more appetizing.
Vegan Gluten-free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour bend with extra flour for dusting the pans
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon ground
- Half tsp nutmeg ground
- 1 pinch cloves ground
- 1 pinch ginger ground
- 1 pound carrots peeled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed with ¾ cup water (refrigerate 15 minutes till thick and sticky)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped walnuts that will serve as toppings
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Vegan butter/margarine
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp plant-based milk
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Prepare the oven to set the temperature at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the oven rack in the middle. Grease the baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Whisk together the baking powder, gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, salt and ginger in a separate bowl. Mix well until well combined. Tip 1: Gluten-free flour is heavier than wheat flour. It also tends to get more moisture. So it is important to add baking soda and baking powder so that the cake batter will have an extra lift needed for an acceptable and tender crumb.
- Shred the carrots in a food processor with a large shredding disk. After shredding, transfer the carrots to the bowl containing the flour blend. After wiping the food processor bowl, fit it with metal blade instead of the shredding disk. Tip 2: No carrots in the fridge? You can use zucchini instead. Zucchini is considered the best carrot substitute. But the flavor of this cake will be different a little bit.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and flax eggs to the food processor bowl. Process it until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, and the mixture becomes frothy. This should take around 20 seconds. Tip 3: The use of brown sugar will make the cake crumb moist and tender, because it has more moisture compared to white sugar.
- While the processor is still running, add oil. Continue to process until the egg mixture is well emulsified. This should take another 20 seconds.
- Move this mixture to the bowl containing the carrots and flour blend mixture. With a rubber spatula, stir well the mixture until everything is well combined. You may also add nuts to the mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake it until the toothpick you placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. For a 9x13 inch baking pan, baking time should take around 30 to 35 minutes.
- Allow the cake to completely cool in the pan for about an hour. Then run a knife around its edges to loosen. Remove the cake and transfer to a serving platter. You can also frost it if you want. Top with walnuts.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl of food processor. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- You can add in some milk to thin the frosting if you find it too thick. More powdered sugar, on the other hand, is needed if you find the frosting too thin.
- Refrigerate the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the bowl then whisk again so that it will be thick and sticky.
Notes
Please make sure to visit Susan at Cook The Stone, also visit her social media for many more recipes: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Comments
Sierra
09/08/2017I love this post! It looks very professional and the pictures are amazing!
shreyatiwari13
09/08/2017I usually don’t do GF bakes but this recipe is tempting me to give it a shot! :) great share.
shreyatiwari13
09/08/2017Lovely bake! :)
Joanie @ One Dish Kitchen
09/08/2017I’ve never trie plant-based milk but I’m so excited to!
aish das padihari
09/08/2017That cake looks absolutely delicious. I will try the recipe soon.
Courtney
09/08/2017This sounds interesting! I’m not a vegan but I’ve considered it many times! I might try this.
Aanchal Gupta
09/08/2017The cake and frosting look absolutely delicious! love it.
Tasia B
09/08/2017Thanks for sharing! My toddler has been bugging me to bake a carrot cake.
Michael Leonard @ Super Millennial
09/08/2017I love carrot cake but never tried to make @ home…this looks delicious!
Lathiya
09/08/2017The cake looks so delicious..First time hearing about gluten free APF, would love to try
Dhwani
09/08/2017Cake looks delicious. This will be my tomorrows breakfast :)
Afroz
09/08/2017The cake looks heavenly, i am in love with the cashew frosting, can’t wait to try it.
Lynn Woods
10/08/2017Yum! I love carrot cake. My Aunt would add pineapple to hers.
Denay DeGuzman
10/08/2017Two words: beautiful, delicious! My vegan and gluten-free friends and family would love this gorgeous carrot cake. And just look at that scrumptious frosting. Yum!
Soniya
10/08/2017I love carrot cake but have never tried a vegan version…. Pinning it !
Stephanie
10/08/2017Wow, this looks good! I make a carrot cake, but it isn’t vegan so very different. I would love to give this one a try as well!
Sushma Iyer
10/08/2017oh what a lovely looking cake.. I am a big fan of carrot cakes.. bookmarking and pinning it for future.. :D
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
10/08/2017That frosting! This looks amazing — carrot cake is one of my favorites (maybe tied with chocolate)!
Jagruti
10/08/2017We love carrot cake and your recipe is vegan, surely I want at least one slice of your cake. Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe with us.
Maggie Unzueta
10/08/2017My brother is a vegan. I must make this recipe for him.
Vet Leow
10/08/2017Thanks for this recipe…my friend’s son has celiac disease too and it is so so difficult where food is concerned….sharing this with him!
Luci
11/08/2017This looks so good. You get in your vegetable for the day and eat cake at the same time, that’s a win win.
Needa
16/08/2017love the recipe you shared ! This cake look moist and delicous to eat