Vegan carrot cake

Ingredients:

Cakes

• 0.5 cup unrefined coconut oil, melt and cool slightly + extra for greasing the pans
• 1 and 1/3 cups raw walnut halves
• 3 cups premium flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups vegan cane sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 0.5 cup applesauce
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 and 1/4 cups grated carrots (about 6 medium; 340 g)

Cream cheese frosting

• 220 g vegan cream cheese, softened
• 110 g vegan unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of coarse salt
• 3 cups vegan powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease two 22cm round cake pans with coconut oil.
2. Cakes:
   
   Place the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. When the walnuts are completely cool, finely chop one half and coarsely chop the remaining half; keep them separate.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup coconut oil, cane sugar, milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth, then fold in the carrots, distributing them evenly. Combine the flour mixture with the wet mixture and knead into a dough; do not overwork the dough. Stir in the finely chopped walnuts.
4. Spread the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until golden brown, the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-28 minutes.
5. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.
   
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.
6. Cream cheese frosting:
   
   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar and cornstarch until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7. When the cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife to trim off the domed tops so the cakes are flat. Place 1 cake cut-side down on a serving platter or cake stand. Spread 3/4 cup of frosting evenly over the top.
8. Place the second cake layer on top, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over the top and sides of the cake and smooth it out completely to seal any crumbs. It's okay if the cake is slightly translucent in places. It's just the base layer of frosting..
9. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the glaze to set.
10. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, creating pretty swirls if desired. Sprinkle the edges of the cake with coarsely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until the frosting sets, about 30 minutes.