Carrot Cake
[Vegan]

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 340°F.
2. Cut 7inch diameter circles out of parchment paper and line your cake forms. Brush the bottoms lightly with oil first, it will help the paper stick.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour with sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spice.
4. Mix thoroughly and add carrots, oil, apple sauce and orange juice.
5. Mix thoroughly again and divide into your forms into three equal portions.
6. Place in the middle of the rack and bake for 45min or until the toothpick comes clean when you prick in the center.
7. When ready, let it cool for a few minutes before taking out off forms.
8. After, let cool on the rack completely and place into refrigerator overnight, before decorating.

To Make the Spiced Caramel:

1. In a small pot, bring maple syrup to boil, add rest of the ingredients and stir well.
2. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 min.
3. Take it off the heat and transfer into small dish.
4. Let it cool down for 10min.

To Decorate the Cake:

1. Apply three 3/4 cups of cashew cream on bottom and middle cake layer and spread with spatula all the way to the edge.
2. Place them on top of each other and the third layer one on top.
3. Apply thin layer of cream on top and all around the cake.
4. Decorate with piping bag and place into refrigerator.
5. In the meantime, prepare your spiced caramel.
6. When ready, carefully pour the caramel in the middle, you need less than 1/4 cup.
7. Roast whole pecans on heated pan. Reduce the heat and stir with spatula so both sides turn golden. It will take only few minutes, so be careful, do not burn.
8. Let it cool down for 5 minutes and transfer into a blender. Grind by pressing pulse button. Make sure they remain chunky.
9. Sprinkle on top of your cake most dense the center and serve.