Alright, so the tofu frosting may scare you off a little bit, I get it. BUT this is absolutely delicious and surprisingly healthy! You should all give it a try next time you're in the mood for some decadent carrot cake.
One of the first days that I moved to Boulder, my brother and dad were with me, and we were staying in a hotel. It was the nastiest of hotels, and the room came without a fridge. Every meal that we ate, we ate out. Which is completely unusual for us, but under the circumstances, it was all we could do. After a long day of driving through the snowy mountains, adventuring, my brother and I decided to go get some grub. We ate at a small cafe called Native Foods. The food was delicious, but it was the carrot cake that had me hooked. It was a tofu frosting and the first time I'd ever seen such a thing. I quickly shared it with my brother and dad, who had no clue that it contained tofu. Also, if they had known, they would have shoved it away and never even tried it. Not to my surprise, both of them loved it!! I knew I had to recreate this once I found an apartment where I could unpack my Kitchen Aid mixer and crank out some desserts. I really hope you enjoy this one as much as my family and I did!
Ingredients:
2 cups carrots, grated
1 cup walnut pieces
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons flax seeds, milled
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Agave nectar in the raw
3/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil- coconut, canola, or any other flavorless oil
Tofu frosting:
1/2 package of firm tofu, water drained off
3 spoonfulls of coconut oil
1 tablespoon Agave nectar in the raw
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
For the carrot cake:
Grate carrots and place into a bowl. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and Agave until thoroughly mixed. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, flax seeds, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly incorporate dry into wet ingredients, fold in carrots and nuts. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and spoon the mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until fully cooked in the middle
*For high altitude, cook at 375 for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 for the remainder of the cooking time.
For the frosting:
In a blender, blend tofu, sugar, water, and oil, mix until smooth, then fold in zest and ginger.
ENJOY!
