Carrot Cake

My all time favorite cake! Maybe it's the subconscious feeling that it's the healthiest of all cakes, being chock full of beta-carotene rich carrots.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each: nutmeg, cloves and dried ginger
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup rice milk
3/4 cup brown rice or maple syrup
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup raisins

FROSTING

1 lb. firm tofu, quartered
1 1/4 cup maple sugar
1/3 cup cashew butter
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. umeboshi vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Separately, combine rice milk, brown rice syrup, oil and vanilla. Whisk to blend ingredients together. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add carrots, 1/2 cup of the walnuts and raisins. Mix well but do not overmix.

Pour batter into two lightly oiled 8 inch round cake pans, dividing batter evenly. Or use one lightly oiled bundt pan. Bake 30 minutes or until center of cake springs back when touched lightly. Remove cakes from oven to cool on a wire rack.

While cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frosting cake. Invert one cooled cake layer onto a plate and spread with 1/4 inch of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top and cover entire cake with frosting. Decorate top with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.

Serves 10

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