Carrot Cake Three Ways
Instructions:
- ORANGE GLAZE:
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot Powder
- MAPLE NUT FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup nut butter (my favorites are cashew and almond)
- 1 pound firm tofu
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons rice, soy, or cow milk, if needed
- Carrot cake is probably one of the most classic and enduring desserts from the hippie vegetarian era. It never seems to go out of style and is always a wholesome, yet satisfying, sweet. You can make it more or less rich, depending on the topping you choose.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans or a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup, carrots, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture and mix well. Add only as much milk as needed to make a batter that is smooth and pourable but not thin. Stir in the currants and nuts (if using). Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cook the cake on a rack for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan. You can glaze a warm cake; for a frosted cake, allow the cake to cool completely.
- Orange Glaze:
- In a saucepan, cook the maple syrup, vanilla, and orange juice over medium heat until warmed through. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture from the saucepan and whisk in the arrowroot powder.
- Once the arrowroot is completely dissolved, return the mixture to the saucepan while whisking. After the glaze thickens, remove the pan from the heat.
- Allow the glaze to cool
before frosting a layer cake or drizzle the warm glaze over a
Bundt cake immediately after removing it from the pan.
- Maple Nut Frosting:
- Puree all of the ingredients in a food processor until very creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add milk as needed.
- Chill before using.
- SERVES 12 TO 14