Vegan Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 175 ml coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 150 ml liquid egg substitute
• 200 g soft light brown sugar
• 250 g carrots, grated
• 50 g raisins
• 50 g walnuts
• Zest 1 orange
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 1 bicarbonate of soda
• 2 mixed spice
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ground nutmeg

• 125 g plant butter, softened
• 125 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 250 g vegan cream cheese
• Walnuts, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 170ºC (150ºC fan) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. 
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg substitute until fluffy and then add the sugar and keep whisking. Add the oil in slowly until combined.
3. In a separate mixing bowl mix together the flour, bicarb, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into the egg and oil mixture followed by the grated carrot, orange zest and sultanas and nuts, and fold until the whole mixture is combined. Pour mixture into loaf tin and bake for 60 mins. Once baked, test with a skewer or small knife to ensure the middle is fully cooked. 
4. Leave to cool for 30 mins and turn out onto a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, make the vegan butter cream. Beat the plant-based butter until fluffy. Add icing sugar and beat until combined, then add vanilla extract and cream cheese. The topping will be runnier than usual cream cheese so refrigerate until you need to us it. 
5. When the cake is cooled, spread over the topping and sprinkle with some crushed walnuts if you wish.