Vegan carrot cake for a fancy dessert on Meatless Monday

​No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe.

If you tried the banana-walnut muffin or the chocolate-chip cookie recipes, then you already know that all the hype about vegan baking being difficult (or not as tasty) is just that...hype. This carrot cake recipe is a bit more complex but still easy, and the results are well worth the effort.

The recipe was adapted for altitude from Vegan With a Vengeance.

You will need:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup pineapple juide
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3-4 carrots

And for the icing:

16 ounces non-dairy cream cheese (Tofutti brand)
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and lightly grease two eight- or nine-inch round cake pans.

1. Chop or lightly process the macadamia nuts.

Chop the crystallized ginger into small pieces.

2. Peel the carrots.