Vegan Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake, on the lighter side

3 cups peeled and grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup orange juice

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy milk
1 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and grease and flour two cake pans. Soak the raisins the orange juice for about 5 minutes, while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients, then drain and reserve the juice. Sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, soy milk, maple syrup, vinegar, vanilla and orange juice. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until well-blended. Fold in the carrots, raisin and walnuts. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes (check the bottoms, as I initially did not, to make sure it's cooking all the way through). Cool in pans fir 10 minutes before removing from pans.

"Cream Cheese" Frosting (which may be adapted to include real cream cheese, of course)

1 package vegan cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tb. margarine

Combine ingredients and mix with a blender until well-combined. Fill and frost cooled cake.