Vegan Veggie Cake

Bunny friendly carrot cake

Your vegan friends will be shocked by how good this cake is.

This is a vegan friendly carrot cake with a little bit of a twist. The frosting uses tomatoes, giving it a surprising, but delicious flavor. It's also a nice way to achieve a soft pink frosting without using food dye, which can give frosting a bitter flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup zucchini
6 carrots, grated
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, tapioca starch, and salt in a bowl until blended; set aside.
Pour the hot water into a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with the flax meal. Stir for a minute until the flax begins to absorb the water, and the mixture slightly thickens.
Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved, then add the zucchini, carrots, and walnuts.
Stir in the dry mixture until just moistened, then pour into the prepared pan.
Bake: about 30 minutes (until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean)
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the dairy-free soy margarine until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar gradually, starting at a slow speed setting and working up to a fast one, beating until the mixture is combined and slightly stiff.
Add the tomato paste and soy milk, beating until smooth and creamy.