Method (Cake)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts. Mix until fully incorporated. Do not over mix or this can result in a dense cake. 
7. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
8. Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
9. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.  Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

Method (frosting)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and cream cheese, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and vanilla. Whip on high speed for around 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more cream cheese. If it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.
3. As this is a soft cream cheese due to the spread, place the frosting into the fridge for around 30 minutes to firm up before using. 
4. Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the frosting on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
5. Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat with another layer of frosting and the third cake on top (refer to video for example). 
6. Give the entire cake a crumb coat (thin layer of frosting to help lock in any crumbs to prevent them in the final coat, using a cake scraper or pallet knife to get the sides smooth.
7. Place the cake into the fridge to set for 40 minutes. You want the frosting to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.

Method (carrots and final decoration)

1. In a small bowl, add some of the frosting and a drop of orange food gel. Mix together then transfer into a piping bag and snip off the tip.
2. When the cake feels firm, remove from the fridge, pipe mini carrots all over the cake, on the sides and top. 
3. Add some sprigs of rosemary or carrot leaves to make the carrots look realistic.
4. To add some crunch, roughly chop some walnuts and sprinkle them over the cake, in between the piped carrots.
5. Slice, serve and enjoy!