Eggless Baking, Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe

This is the first recipe in my "no eggs baking series."  It's pretty amazing and uses an entire pound of carrots.  I have a vegan variation with bourbon &/or orange glaze, and a non-vegan variation with cream cheese frosting.

Carrot cake is very versatile in how it can be cooked.  If you are going to make the Vegan Carrot Cake with Bourbon &/or Orange Glaze, I suggest using a bundt or tube pan.  If you are going to use Cream Cheese Icing, I suggest using layers or to do it as a sheet cake.  However, it's your cake, so make it how you want it!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients & Directions for the cake:

2 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cloves

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 c. of Sugar

1/2 c. Brown Sugar

Mix all dry ingredients in a a large bowl together.

2 T. of Flax Seed (preferably golden) freshly ground & 1/3 c + 1T of hot water combined in a small bowl and allowed to sit 2-3 minutes.

3/4 c. Apple Sauce

1 c. Vegetable Oil

Mix all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
1 lb of freshly grated carrots (you can use a box grater or food processor to grate, don't buy chopped carrots or it will turn out funky--in a bad way)
1 cup of walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nut (optional)
1 cup of raisins (optional)
Now mix all the ingredients together in the large bowl.
Pour into your greased and floured pan(s).
Approx cooking times:
13"x9" 40 minutes
3-8" or cupcakes 30 minutes
2-9" 35 minutes
Bundt or Tube 55 minutes
Let the cake cool a little before running a knife around the edge(s) & turning it out to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing:
12 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 c. (1 stick) Butter, softened
1 T. Sour Cream
2 c. Powdered Sugar
Cream together and ice your cooled cake.

(Vegan option 1) Orange and Bourbon Glaze:
1/2 c. (1 stick) Butter 

2/3 c. Sugar
zest from one orange
1/2 c. Bourbon (or 1/4 c. Bourbon & 1/4 c. of Fresh Orange Juice)
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the sugar and orange zest, bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and add the liquids.  Strain to remove the zest before glazing.

(Vegan option 2) Orange Glaze:
2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/3 c. Fresh Orange Juice
1 tsp of Orange zest (finely grated--I cut mine off with a peeler & mince it in my coffee grinder that I keep for herbs.)
pinch of salt
Mix until smooth.  Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  Pour over cooled cake.

Linked on Wow us Wednesday and these other parties I love!