{mm} best vegan carrot cake cake recipe + tennis

the best vegan cashew coconut carrot cake / gluten, oil, & refined-sugar free // bring joy

{Vegan gluten free carrot cake is the best.}

This weekend I did several lovely things:

1) ate lots of (gluten-free + vegan) carrot cake.

2) played tennis for the first time.

3) took a nice long bubble bath.

The carrot cake was born of a desire to make a somewhat frugal Easter-ish dessert with ingredients I had on hand. Joseph wasn’t excited about the prospect of me making carrot cake (I don’t blame him–most people’s experience with carrot cake is that it’s smothered in overly rich & sugary frosting). To be honest, this was my first attempt at carrot cake–so I had some trepidation.

the best vegan cashew coconut carrot cake / gluten, oil, & refined-sugar free // bring joy

I didn’t use any oil or refined-sugar (except for in the glaze, which is an optional addition, but totally worth it).

the best vegan cashew coconut carrot cake / gluten, oil, & refined-sugar free // bring joy

I’ve often thought I don’t like cake. And, I’ve realized, it’s just not true.

I love cake–if it’s moist & tender, with just the right blend of flavors. I think it can usually be improved by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but if it’s good enough, it can stand alone.

I’m excited to share the recipe with you, but a few {MM} things first.

frugal-dates-tennis

♥ A few weeks ago, on the frugal dates & why you need to date your husband post, Marly made a comment about how she & her husband make it a point to play tennis together as part of their date routine. I thought–brilliant! I’m totally stealing that idea. I’ve been wanting to branch out & do more physical type dates & playing tennis absolutely fit the bill. So this weekend we bought some inexpensive rackets & balls & went out & played for awhile while we left the kids with a sitter. It was relaxing to laugh together & get moving & the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. We both agreed that this the start of a new dating tradition. (And we figured we’d like our kids to learn too & make it a family event sometimes.)

salem-and-tyndale

♥ (I promise this photo was absolutely authentic–not staged at all! Salem really was “reading” Fermat’s Enigma–& she did Tyndale’s hair.)
Many of you have left comments on Thursday’s post about raising independent children. Like the homeschooling post, I’m seeing a theme in women’s desire to be a good mom and to have some time/space/interests apart from child rearing. This is definitely a topic I think we could explore more (especially how to make time for other pursuits, while remaining a present & responsible parent). Thanks for all your insights, & if you haven’t commented, chime in here.

♥ My dear friend (one of my favorite bloggers) Gena made a surprising, delightful announcement–she’s coming out with a cookbook this year! She managed (I don’t know how, so much self-control) to keep it under wraps until the very last minute prior to launching her book. You can get a sneak peak of it here (I promise it’s going to be an amazing compilation of inspiring/do-able recipes & writing) &/or pre-order on Amazon now.

♥ I love foxes. These pictures will make you love them too.

fabulous recipes to pin: 
all gluten-free & vegan

vegan asparagus & fennel quiche
(so pretty!)

carrot cake cheesecake
(in case you’re feeling the cheesecake version of carrot cake)

spring harvest buddah bowls w/ a dill vinagrette
(fresh & seasonal)

spectacular sunshine dressing
(put this on your next salad)

//

Now for that recipe.

{MM} vegan + gluten-free recipe: cashew coconut carrot cake

This is the kind of recipe you’ll want to make when you have company over (especially your vegan-skeptic relatives or friends). I kid you not, this cake will knock your socks off.

carrot coconut cashew cake -- vegan + gluten-free

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 16 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories per serving: 205 (without glaze)

Fat grams per serving: 5 g

carrot coconut cashew cake -- vegan + gluten-free

an uber moist vegan + gluten-free carrot cake with the addition of coconut & cashews to give it extra depth & texture

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. buckwheat flour | or toasted quinoa flour or oat flour
  • 1/2 c. white rice flour | or brown rice flour
  • 3/4 c. garbanzo bean flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. ginger
  • 1, 14 oz. can coconut milk (not light)
  • 1 TBS. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 TBS. blackstrap molasses
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 c. sucanat | or sugar
  • 1/3 c. ground flax seed
  • 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 4 medium carrots, finely grated
  • 1/2 c. cashews (chopped)
  • for the glaze (optional):
  • 2 TBS. melted coconut oil | or non-dairy butter
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/4 c. non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • + additional unsweetened coconut flakes for topping

Instructions

  1. First, a few notes. I grind my flours from bulk grains, using my Blendtec. This a great way to keep flours fresh & to save money (more on frugal baking, here). If you make substitutions for the flours, it will change the end product slightly (make it a bit more dense, especially if you substitute brown rice flour for the white rice), but it will still be delicious. I highly recommend toasting your quinoa flour before using (otherwise, just regular quinoa flour has a very strong flavor).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  3. Sift flours, baking soda & baking powder.
  4. In a large measuring cup, combine coconut milk, vinegar, molasses, vanilla. In a standing mixer, pour liquid. Add sugar & flax seed. Blend until smooth.
  5. Add sifted flours & mix just until batter is smooth.
  6. Add grated carrots, chopped cashews & shredded coconut. Mix until incorporated.
  7. Pour into greased bundt cake pan.
  8. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted & comes out clean.
  9. Cool for 15 minutes on cooling rack.
  10. While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Add melted coconut oil, vanilla & milk to powdered sugar & whisk until smooth.
  11. Place a plate over bundt cake pan, flip over so that cake is now on plate. Transfer cake (gently) to cake stand, or final destination.
  12. Pour glaze over cake, reserving some to use as additional topping when the cake is served. Sprinkle with additional shredded coconut.
  13. Eat immediately.
  14. {For leftovers: Flash free individual servings of left over cake (put in freezer on cookie sheet for an hour or so) & then wrap individual servings in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag--good this way in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you want to eat, just remove from freezer & allow to defrost for 2-3 hours before serving.}

cake only: 38 carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein, 27 g sugar, 29 mg sodium; 5 WWP points: glaze (per tablespoon)--62 calories, 2 g fat, 12 g carb, 11 g sugar, 0 g protein, 0 g fiber

//

Hope you have a fab week!

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