Vegan Carrot Cake

Let's pretend that I mentioned the whole bit about me doing the vegan thing for a month but it turned into vegetarian instead because I had a lot of dairy and didn't want to throw it out.

One night I started craving carrot cake. I usually use Gigi's Carrot Cake by Emeril Lagasse and I absolutely LOVE it. I started thinking about the fact that I could use banana or flax for the eggs. But what about the butter? Hmm. How could I combine another favorite - banana bread - that didn't need butter with this carrot cake recipe. I started making notes and jottings and then I saw the Ginger Carrot Cake recipe from the February 1995 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. No butter. It used oil. Sweeeet.

So this is what I did.

Ginger Carrot Cake - Better Home and Gardens, February 1995

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsps baking powder – Added a little extra baking powder as recommended by Fat Free Vegan

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs - I halved the recipe. I used ½ banana mashed and 1 Tbsp flax + 3 Tbsp of water

3 cups finely shredded carrot

¾ cup cooking oil

¾ cup mixed dried fruit bits – Soaked raisins in coconut rum overnight – longer would be better

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9 x 1½ inch round cake pans. Set aside

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs (or replacement) ; stir in carrot, oil, dried fruit bits, cinnamon and ginger. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Frost

This was so flavourful and delicious. I would have eaten the entire batter before baking it. I just loved the ginger, the subtle banana... mmmmmmm

Tt