Cardamon Spiced Carrot Cake with Maple Frosting
Happy Easter! We’re obsessed with carrot cake so I decided to make this healthy version. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free. You can easily make this vegan by swapping out the eggs for a vegan egg replacement like flax.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
2 boxes Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
6 eggs
2 /3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup oat milk, or other plant-based milk
1 cup maple syrup
3 1/2 cups shredded carrots
Maple Frosting
2- 8 oz kite hill cream cheese, you can use any kind
1/2 cup vegan butter, melted, I use this one
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, to taste
1 cup powdered sugar, I used this powdered monkfruit
Method
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Rub an even coat of coconut oil on two 8 inch springform cake pans and then line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the cake mix and spices together. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil (cooled), cashew butter, oat milk, maple syrup, and shredded carrots until well incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove from the springform pans and set on a cooling rack for another 10-20 minutes or until completely cooled.
Use an electric mixer to make the frosting. In the mixer bowl, add cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well incorporated. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
Place one of your cooled cakes on a cake stand and coat the top of the cake with 1/2 cup frosting, spreading evenly. Repeat with the second cake. Decorate with flowers, chopped pecans, walnuts, or shredded coconut.
