VEGAN CARROT CAKE WITH CASHEW FROSTING

Carrot cake has long been a favourite of mine, so I wanted to create a vegan version without eggs and dairy that tasted just as delicious as the traditional cake.

Here, I have replaced butter with rapeseed oil, eggs with baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and used an icing made from cashew nuts.

Recipe from my NEW book, THE VEGAN ATHLETE’S COOKBOOK, available to pre-order now on Amazon

Makes 16 squares

Dairy-free spread to grease

250 g wholemeal or white flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

125 g sugar

60 g ground almonds

225 ml plant milk alternative

120 ml rapeseed oil

3 carrots, grated

Zest of 1 orange

75 g pecans, chopped

40 g pumpkin seeds

A few extra pecans and seeds, to decorate

For the frosting:

125 g cashews, soaked overnight (or in boiling water for 1 hour)

40 g icing sugar

1 tbsp plant milk alternative

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180 °C/ fan 160 °C/gas mark 4. Meanwhile, grease and line a 25 x 20 cm baking tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sugar and ground almonds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the plant milk alternative and rapeseed oil, then tip them into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined, then fold in the carrots, orange zest, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Transfer to the prepared tin, smooth the batter with a spatula and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the edges of the cake start to come away from the tin. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.

Meanwhile make the frosting: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. Be patient – this may take a while, depending on your blender. Add an extra splash of milk, if necessary. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Remove the cake from the tin, transfer to a board and spread the icing over the cake. Scatter with extra pecans and seeds. The cake will keep for up to two days in an airtight tin, or frozen for up to three months.