Vegan Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
User Reviews
5
Vegan Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Description
This vegan spice cake uses a mix of flours, including spelt or whole wheat and all-purpose, combined with ground spices and chopped dates for sweetness and texture. The wet ingredients include applesauce, oil, flax seed meal mixed with water as an egg substitute, and optional vanilla and grated apple. Shredded carrot and zucchini add moisture and subtle vegetal notes. The batter is baked in a greased or lined pan until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
The result is a moist, spiced cake with a tender crumb, suitable for cutting into squares or baking as muffins or loaf with time adjustments. Once cooled, a mapled water glaze is brushed on before frosting with vegan cream cheese frosting made from vegan cream cheese alternatives.
The cake works well as a snack or dessert, offering warmth from the spices and added fruit and vegetable moisture. Variations include gluten-free flour blends and oil-free options substituting oil with non-dairy milk and applesauce. Homemade vegan cream cheese frosting from soaked cashews is also an option mentioned.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1.5 - 1.75 cups flour I use 3/4 cup spelt/whole wheat and 3/4 cup or more all purpose), see Notes for glutenfree
- 1/3 cup brown sugar , or coconut sugar. (2 tbsp more for sweeter)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cloves ground
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup dates or other dried fruit or cranberries, chopped
- 3/4 cup applesauce I use lightly sweetened, room temperature
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 tsp vanilla , optional
- 1/3 cup apple optional - Grate, lightly squeeze in a paper towel to remove exess moisture before using, grated
- 1/3 cup carrot
- 1/3 cup zucchini
Instructions
- Grease or line a cake pan or brownie pan(8 by 8 inch). Preheat the oven to 360 F (185 C)
- Mix the flax seed meal with water and set aside. In a large bowl combine 1.5 cups of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk well. Fold in the dates.
- Add the applesauce, flax seed mix, oil and vanilla if using. Mix to just about combine into a slightly stiff mixture. (Mix in grated apple if using). If batter is not stiff add flour 1 to 2 tbsp at a time and mix it. Transfer the batter in a prepared cake pan and spread it using a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick from the enter comes out clean.( 20-22 mins for muffins, 45 to 50 mins for a loaf).
- Cool the cake for 5 mins and then remove from the pan. Mix a tablespoon of maple syrup with 1 tsp of water and brush it all over the cake. Frost with frosting of choice once the cake is cooled.
- Optional Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting: Mix 6 oz vegan cream cheese(store bought or homemade, see homemade option in notes), a good pinch of salt and 1/4 cup maple syrup until smooth. Taste and adjust flavor, sweet with a tbsp of sugar if needed.
- To Store: Just the cake can be stored in a covered container on the counter for upto 2 days. With the frosting, it needs to be refrigerated if not getting consumed in a couple of hours. Refrigerate them separately for upto 4 days.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, blend rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, and potato starch; adjust flour amount as needed for batter consistency.
- To make oil-free, replace oil with a combination of non-dairy milk and applesauce.
- If substituting sugar with maple or date syrup, reduce applesauce quantity accordingly.
- Homemade vegan cream cheese frosting can be made by blending soaked cashews with lemon juice, salt, and water until creamy.
- Nutritional values correspond to one piece of cake.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 9pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 194kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Sodium | 169mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 174mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 5IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1.3mg | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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