Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 degrees Celsius. Prepare the cake pans by greasing and flouring them. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper to help with unmolding.

Step 2

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt and cinnamon and any other spices, if using.

Step 3

In a smaller bowl, place the wet ingredients: grated carrots, applesauce, sugar, pure vanilla extract and oil. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula.

Step 4

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Mix with a spatula until the batter comes together and there is no dry flour in the bowl. Stir in toasted walnuts.

Step 5

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Preferably line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper for easy unmolding.

Step 6

Bake the cakes for 35 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let the pans stand on a rack to cool for 15 minutes, then unmold and continue cooling on wire racks. Cool the cakes thoroughly before frosting.

Step 7

Place the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until soft and fluffy, about a minute. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and beat in.

Step 8

Continue adding more sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beating, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for ½ hour before frosting the cake.

Step 9

Frost the cake by placing one cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread half the frosting over the cake, then place the other cake on top and frost with the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle more toasted walnuts on top, if desired.