Vegan Carrot Cake

This is the last segment of my guest event with Jan Silverman. Here is her take on Vegan dessert making and some home truths about sugars, and the use of eggs and dairy.

In Her Own Words -
I’ve begun making more vegan desserts since I joined an organization who sponsors the feral cat clinics and philosophy is vegan.  We have an only vegan lunch on clinic days.  I’ve discovered the dry, tasteless vegan desserts have been replaced with moist flavourful ones as good or better than the non-vegan versions.  The most important benefit of vegan food that I have noticed, other than being animal and eco friendly, is it’s definitely healthier in many ways. Avoiding high fat animal products lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, less obesity and consequently less heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses (as all you healthy vegetarians know). 

Eggs and dairy are used to maintain moisture in desserts. Substituting white vinegar for eggs amazingly gives the same moistness in cakes.  Also combined with baking soda and baking powder, cakes rise the same as if eggs were used.  ( I read the resourceful women who lived during World War 2 discovered this substitution when eggs were rationed).  My next project is experimenting with a sugar replacement again for health reasons.  Sugar is definitely what makes the dessert a dessert, but I want to try using Agave nectar which has a lower glycemic and is truly vegan.  Some granulated sugars (white and brown) are filtered using bone char (animal bone based charcoal).  The moisture levels have to be adjusted in some recipes when using Agave so it will be a fun challenge for some of my favorite desserts.  

Jan in my Kitchen

This is the third and final recipe we have in this segment. This is a very straight forward and easy recipe and I urge you all to give it a try. 

Prep Time:  10 min

Cook Time:  45 min

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

2 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Orange Juice

3/4  Cup Canola Oil

3 Cups Shredded Carrots

1 Cup Crushed Pineapple, Undrained

1 Cup Coconut

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Do not use a hand mixer.  Use a ladle or spoon.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Mix orange juice and oil into the dry ingredients.

Fold in carrots, nuts, pineapple, and coconut.

Grease 9 X 12 pan with canola oil or cooking spray.

Pour batter into cake pan.

Bake 45 min or until knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

 Cool completely.

TOPPING:

1/4 Cup Tofutti Cream Cheese

1/4 Cup Vegan Margarine

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

Beat cream cheese and margarine together with hand mixer.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Frost cooled cake.

Refrigerate.