Do you ever wonder what on earth you're going to present at a birthday party when you're trying to avoid sugary sweet, butter iced cakes?! Here's the solution! Not only does this cake look and taste divine, you'll also be sneaking in heaps of plant-based ingredients. 

My carrot cake is pretty much a case of adding everything to a bowl, mixing it well, pouring it into a cake tin and baking for an hour! Check out the video to see just how simple it really is. 

INGREDIENTS

250g self raising flour (I use gluten free)

2 large carrots grated

2 apples grated

150g coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp mixed spice (cinnamon / cloves / nutmeg)

100g chopped walnuts + extra for decorating

100g raisins

3 flax eggs (mix 3 tbsp ground flax seeds with 3 tbsp warm water)

100ml melted coconut oil

50ml maple syrup

200ml oat milk

VEGAN BUTTER ICING 

150g soaked cashews

100ml oat cream

50ml maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla essence

Juice of 1 small lemon

Rind of 1 small lemon

Pinch of salt

80ml melted coconut oil  

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C

Add all the cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to combine everything together well

Pour into a deep cake tin and oven bake for 50mins - 1 hour. Check with a skewer to ensure the centre is cooked through

Meanwhile, to make the butter icing, add everything except the coconut oil to a nutri-blender and combine. Then stir in the melted coconut oil and pop in the fridge to semi-set for an hour

Remove from the fridge and use an electric whisk to fluff up your butter icing. Then return to the fridge again to semi-set

Allow the baked cake to fully cool

Slice the cake in half horizontally with a sharp knife. You might prefer to use 2 shallow baking tins if you'd find that easier

Use a knife to evenly spread the butter icing onto the base layer, pop the second layer on top and ice that one too

Sprinkle with grated carrot, lime and chopped walnuts