Rustic Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is not for everyone, but something we frequently find with carrot cakes is they are often too sweet. Many people add ample amounts of sugar or sweeteners to "combat" the carrot-ness. Well not this recipe. Our "Rustic Carrot Cake" is not too sweet and does not have loads of add-ins (although you could totally add raisins or other add-ins if you'd like).

***Please note that this recipe is not vegan as written, but minor changes could be made to make it vegan. (see recipe below)***

This recipe is pretty simple in the fact that you mix your dry ingredients first, then mix your wet ingredients and then put it all together. The hardest part of this recipe is wringing out the carrots. Remember that carrots hold a lot of moisture, and you do not want that moisture leaking out while your cake is in the oven. So what you do is grate the carrots, we used a food processor, and then place them in a food safe cloth and wring out the excess liquid.

Once that is done and you have mixed your dry and wet ingredients separately, all you have to do is put all the components into one bowl and mix until combined.

Quick, easy, and delicious. We made a quick vanilla buttercream to put with this cake, but you could eat it on it's own or pair it with your favorite icing. If you are going to stack this cake, here's a quick tip: remember to let the cake cool completely before icing, and to cut the domed top off the bottom layer so the cake lays flat.

Rustic Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

3 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Coconut Oil melted (substitute: vegetable oil)

2 Eggs (substitute: flax egg)

1/2 cup Apple Sauce

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Plant Based Milk (we used Oat Milk)

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups Grated Carrots

3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts

Directions

1. First, grease two 9" round pans and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Next grate the carrots (either by hand or in a food processor) and then put them in a kitchen safe food cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

3. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt till combined. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl whisk the oil, eggs, apple sauce, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.

5. In the large bowl containing the flour mixture add in the wet mixture, carrots, and chopped walnuts. Fold together with a spatula until completely incorporated.

6. Pour half of the mixture into each pan and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Be sure to check that the center is firm to the touch and a toothpick can be inserted to the middle and come out clean.

7. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pans and serve with your favorite vanilla icing.