The Vegan Edit
Eating plant-based? Satisfy your sweet tooth with our collection of dairy-and eggfree bakes
Carrot cake
HANDS-ON TIME 25 mins
TOTAL TIME 55 mins
SERVES 18-20 \ V Vn DF
480ml plant milk (such as oat) 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 50g walnuts 425g self-raising flour 450g caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg 150g carrots, peeled and grated 120g sunflower oil
For the frosting 150g vegan butter or margarine, softened 2 tbsp vegan soft cheese ½ tbsp vanilla extract 600g icing sugar, sifted dash of plant milk, if needed
To decorate 80g walnuts, roughly chopped 1 or more carrots, peeled mint sprigs, or other herbs
Who doesn’t love a slice of classic carrot cake? This vegan version – moist and mildly spiced sponge layers with a smooth, sweet creamy topping – is just as nice, and will have you reaching for another slice.
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and line three 20cm round cake tins with baking paper. If you don’t have 3 tins, bake the cakes separately, keeping the mixing bowl covered with a clean tea towel between bakes, and stirring the batter before use.
2 In a bowl, whisk the milk with the apple cider vinegar until combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle – this creates vegan buttermilk.
3 Blitz 50g walnuts until finely ground in a mini processor or blender.
4 In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the grated carrot and ground walnuts. Mix well to combine.
5 Add the oil to the vegan buttermilk and whisk to combine. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
6 Divide the cake batter equally between the lined cake tins. Tap the tins on the worktop a few times to remove any air bubbles.
7 Bake for 28–30 minutes, until the sponges are springy to the touch and a knife or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If it comes out wet, return the cake tins to the oven until they are fully baked, checking every few minutes.
8 Put the cakes on a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before removing from the tins. Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting, unless you’re going to assemble it straightaway.
9 For the frosting, in a bowl or stand mixer, cream the vegan butter or margarine, soft cheese and vanilla together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and whisk until the frosting is light and fluffy. You can do this by hand, but it will take longer. If the frosting is too thick, add a dash of milk; if it’s too wet, add more icing sugar. The frosting will be used to fill the cake, for a crumb coat and the final coat.
10To assemble the cake, put the first sponge layer on a cake turntable, cake stand or serving plate. Frost the to
