Vegan MOFO: Wicked Wednesday Not-So-Wicked Carrot Cake

Fall is here and it's time for some fall spices to fill your kitchen with the "fallness" of it all.

A friend gave me this recipe out of his Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts  years ago. This has been a real winner whenever I have made it. Moist and tasty and almost good for you! I've adapted it here for a gluten-free cake.

This is a fat-free recipe (unless you use my glaze and walnuts), so it's not so wicked after all. But it tastes that way! (OK, there's plenty of sugar...)

Not-So-Wicked Carrot Cake

2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups water (add another 1/4 cup if using gluten-free flours)
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit (I used dried cranberries.)
1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups flour (or 3 cups JP's Gluten-free Flour Mix)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 300º. Prepare a bundt pan with oil and flour.

Put first 5 ingredients in a pot or pan. Stir and bring it to a boil. Let simmer 5 minutes. Then let it sit at least an hour, or overnight.
 
Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Stir the cooled carrot mixture into the flour mixture. Stir only until mixed.

Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts and/or ½ cup shredded coconut.

Serving suggestions: Confectioner’s Glaze, Lemon Glaze or Cream Cheese Frosting or my own concoction of Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

3 Tbs Vegan Cream Cheese

2 Tbs Lemon Juice

1 Cup powdered sugar, sifted

Grated lemon peel from one lemon 

Heat the cream cheese just so it's softened a bit (about 10-20 seconds in the microwave). Mix it with lemon juice very well. If you have a latte frother, this will help to mix it. Add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time, mixing well each time. Add grated lemon peel, stir. Top on the cooled cake or serve on the side to let your guests top their slice.