Author Notes
As far as I'm concerned, anyone should have their right to an amazing slab of carrot cake at any time during the day. Vegan, gluten free, and made with the all-time breakfast staple, oats (amongst others like raisins and fruit tea), it's guaranteed to start your day right. But as I mentioned, it's good for anytime of the day as a pick-me-up. —Coco et Cocoa
Ingredients
- For the cake layers
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3 1/2 cups
oat flour (grind your own in a vitamix!)
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1 teaspoon
baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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Pinch
fine sea salt
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1 1/2 cups
packed brown sugar
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1 tablespoon
cinnamon
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1 teaspoon
cardamom
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1 teaspoon
vanilla
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1 cup
olive oil
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1/2 cup
orange juice
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1
very ripe banana
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2 cups
grated carrot
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1 cup
each fresh pineapple, sultana raisins, and chopped walnuts
- For the coconut vanilla bean frosting
-
400 grams
medium firm tofu
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1
can coconut cream, chilled, solid fat portion only
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1
tsp vanilla paste (extract will do in a pinch)
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2-3 tablespoons
agave nectar just to sweeten
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1/2 cup
Korean citron tea preserves
Directions
- For the cake layers
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
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Whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
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Whiz the brown sugar, spices, vanilla, olive oil, orange juice, and banana in a blender or food processor until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes a thick caramel consistency.
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Pour the brown sugar mixture into the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Fold in the carrot, pineapple, raisins, and walnuts until well combined.
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Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans and smooth out the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The cakes should have crisp and very golden brown tops, and the sides should be pulling slightly away from the pan. Cool completely, cover, and chill overnight.
- For the coconut vanilla bean frosting
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Rinse the tofu under cold water and pat dry with some kitchen towel. Fold a new sheet of kitchen towel in half and place it on a clean working surface. Cut the tofu into 2-cm thick slices and arrange them, cut side down, on the kitchen towel. Cover with another folded sheet of kitchen towel. Put a heavy wooden cutting board on top to give it some pressure. Let sit for 10 minutes. Change the kitchen towel, then let it sit for another 10 minutes to fully extract the moisture.
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Puree the tofu in a blender or food processor and puree until extremely smooth. Add the coconut cream, vanilla, and agave and blend until creamy. Cover and chill completely.
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To assemble the cake, run a knife along the sides of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert one cake layer onto your cake stand and peel off the parchment. Cover the top with the citron tea preserves, and invert the remaining cake layer onto the cake. Cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the mousse frosting and smooth it out.
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Store under a cake dome, refrigerated, for up to a week. And, as with all cakes, the second and third days are the best.
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