In this deliciously simple Carrot Cake recipe, Mia (A.K.A The Travelling Vegan) shares just how easy it is to create something as lovely and delicious as her beautiful Carrot Cake. It will become a household favourite, and has even converted Mia's strongly non-vegan gran!

More About Mia and her Soulful Food...

Hi, I'm Mia, veg and fruit lover extraordinaire. My plant-based journey started with a love for this planet and everyone who's living on it. Through travel, experimenting, and a lot of curiosity, I have discovered just how easy, accessible, and simple (yet diverse, tasty and nutritious!) vegan food can be. It is very important to me that my diet supports all my nutritional needs, and so my recipes focus on finding ways to this whilst also tasting scrumptious!

What I love the most about cooking is the community aspect of it. The joy and comfort of gathering and sharing – how it brings everyone together. My regular recipes and posts are to do just this! I will be sharing my favourite tasty and healthy vegan meals and treats with you. And I hope that you will enjoy looking after yourself by eating them, and of course sharing them with your own tribe, large or small. 

Wishing you lots of love, health and happiness, Mia xx 

Finding into a new dietary routine with autumn coming around can be a little challenging. However, you are off to a great start with this scrumptious vegan carrot cake! It is unbelievably quick to make and is packed full of fibre and good healthy fats. Even my ‘strictly non-vegan’ grandmother can’t resist an extra slice of this deliciously tempting cake!

I know I could easily write about how incredibly healthy and wholesome this cake is, but for this one, I’m choosing to bring awareness to decision-making that just ‘feels good’ and bring us joy rather than fixating on nutrition facts.

To me, health isn’t so much about numbers but is more embodied in how good I feel. And there seems to be nothing more pleasurable than having a hearty slice of carrot cake on a breezy autumn day! Still, this cake is loaded with nourishment for body, mind and soul.

The way to a good vegan frosting…

The base of this cake starts with flour then we add shredded carrot and plenty of vanilla and spices for added warmth and flavour. For the frosting, we are going for a cheesecake-inspired cashew cream flavoured with lemon for acidity, honey for natural sweetness, and vanilla. The result is a marvellous ‘cheesy’ frosting that sits thick on top of the cake.

The juice and fluff the carrot brings to this cake make it moist and rich while a sweet hint of cinnamon brings out a comforting flavour and gorgeous colour.

Nuts about nuts…

Both nuts in this recipe (Pistachio and Cashew) belong to the family of Anacardiaceae, and both bring their own distinctive flavours into the mix.

Cashews are powerhouses of proteins and essential minerals including copper, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc which are vital to improving bone health. They are good for the heart as they reduce bad cholesterol.

Sweet bitter and slightly sour flavoured Pistachios influence the liver and kidneys, purify the blood and lubricate the intestines. They help regulate the digestive process and are very effective in helping to lower your blood pressure.

Can’t help loving our honeybees…

Honey is the nectar from flowers processed by our amazing honeybees. If you are a vegan that doesn’t consume honey, then this element can easily be replaced by maple syrup.

Honey is highly refined by bees and is assimilated directly into the bloodstream very quickly. Honey even contains some minerals and enzymes. For centuries honey has been used as medicine. All types of honey, both raw and heated, work naturally to harmonize the liver, neutralize toxins, and relieve pain. Honey’s harmonising effect is also said to be beneficial when a person is overworked, having menstrual problems, or is exhausted from salty and rich foods.

For a long time, I did not consume honey as it was claimed to be non-ethical by the vegan community. However, I realised when local Honey is used sparingly, and as medicine, it can be beneficial for both the consumer and bee protection.

Honeybees are essential for our ecosystem and need human interaction for them to survive. They play a big role in pollinating our food such as apples, berries, tangerines etc. Without beekeepers, there would be no natural nesting place, plus today's hives would die if local beekeepers were not active. Hence, I encourage everyone to further research on this topic.

 Ingredients

(makes 1 x delicious cake)

• 2 cups grated carrot (approx. 3 large carrots)
• 2 ½ cups spelt flour
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup oat milk
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar (substitute with coconut sugar if preferred)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp orange zest

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1/4 cup oat milk
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 big tbsp honey (substitute with maple syrup if preferred)
• ½ tsp salt
• Few drops vanilla extract
• A splash of coconut oil 

Preparation

• For the making of the main cake, preheat your oven to 180°C.
• Then… In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
• Take a second smaller bowl and mix together the apple sauce, with oat milk, vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Stir in the brown sugar and orange zest.
• Add your remaining dry ingredients in 3 batches. Whisk and stir until no lumps are left.
• Once everything is smooth bring in the magical ingredient – grated carrots and fold until evenly distributed.
• Add non-stick parchment/greaseproof paper to your baking tin or mould. Pour your cake mix into the baking tin or mould.
• Place in the centre of your oven and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180°C. Once cooked – remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding the frosting.
• While the cake is cooking, it’s time to make your frosting…
• Take all of the frosting ingredients and put them into a high-speed blender together.
• Blend until very smooth. If needed (to moisten/loosen the mix) you can add a splash of coconut oil to help get your blade moving.
• Once the cake has fully cooled, spread the frosting evenly across the top.
• Decorate with orange zest and crushed pistachio nuts. If it lasts long enough, keep the cake in the fridge to keep it fresh.

If you love this, then you will love my other Soulful Vegan Recipes from around the world… Just click for my Beautiful Buddha Bowl, Perfect Vegan Cacao Pancakes, Delicious Vegan Dahl or my Tropical Thunder Green Smoothie.

Until next time, sending lots of love, health and wellness to you. Mia xx