Woodsy Cinnabar Chanterelle Vegan Carrot Cake
It’s Here! Cinnabar chanterelle vegan carrot cake, with candied chanterelles, tangy vegan cream cheese frosting, and simple, tender carrot cake with walnuts. The cake itself is lightly sweetened from the syrup used to make your candied chanterelles for a hint of earthy chanterelle flavor. However, most of the mushrooms come in between the layers and on top of the cake, in the form of crunchy, candied chanterelles.
I have a file on my computer that’s a long list of food ideas I have. From specific dishes I want to try, to more vague cooking concepts, I try to write down all the sparks of inspiration that pop into my head. Some of them become recipes, others sit and collect metaphorical dust. A few years ago I wrote down, “carrot cinnabar chanterelle cake”. I had just seen candied chanterelles for the first time, and something about the sound of those words really appealed to me. I had no idea what I was going to do with that idea, but I wrote it down. And as the years went on, I’d glance at the words occasionally but do nothing. But at last, the random set of alliterative words have become something delicious.
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How to Identify Cinnabar Chanterelles
There are many types of chanterelle, but one of my favotite is the cinnabar, or red, chanterelle. They are incredibly distinct, and the color is fantastic, although they do tend to be on the small side. I have a few spots I go looking for cinnabars, but my most reliable location is on the lawn of a neighbor a few blocks away. I will always think of their house as “the cinnabar house”.
Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.
Cinnabar chanterelles can be reliably identified through several key characteristics. These mushrooms grow close to the forest floor, typically in the vicinity of trees, especially hardwoods. Their caps, which are usually no larger than 2 inches and often display a ruffled edge at maturity, can best be described as “traffic cone orange” in color. These caps grow into a trumpet or funnel shape, sometimes with a slightly darker or depressed center as they mature.
Cinnabar chanterelles are relatively modest in height, reaching no more than 3 inches, with a thin, tapering stem. The stem lightens at its base, taking on hues of orange or yellowish, and is sometimes hollow. Notably, the “gills” of these mushrooms are not true gills but rather a network of false gills, which are actually wrinkles on the underside of the cap. These false gills have a crossing, tangled pattern. Importantly, they also extend down the stem for a significant length, making their deeply decurrent nature a distinctive feature.
Looking for Foraged Desserts? Try one of these!
- Candied Chanterelles Mushrooms from the Forest
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- Tropical Pawpaw Caramel Sauce
- Strawberry and Japanese Knotweed Crisp
Looking for Orange Vegan Recipes? Try one of these!
- Smoky Golden Beet Vegan Lox
- Creamy Vegan Cantaloupe Creamsicles
- Smokey Butternut Squash Hummus
- July’s Peach and Daylily Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Vegan Miso Mayo
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- Vegan Vindaloo Savory Sweet Potato Oatmeal
- Easy Kumquat Marmalade Recipe with Ginger
- Vegan Persimmon Dessert – Bruleed Fuyu Persimmons
- Tomato Rhubarb Soup
How to Make Cinnabar Chanterelle Vegan Carrot Cake
The v egan carrot cake itself is fairly simple, but please keep in mind that you will need to make candied cinnabar chanterelles ahead of time, as well as half a batch of our cream cheese frosting. In order to make the cup of candied chanterelles we used you will need about 3 cups of fresh cinnabar chanterelles- and make sure you save at least a cup of the sugar syrup from candying as it is the sweetener in our cake. Ideally make your candied chanterelles at least a day ahead of time, as they need some time to dry.
Start baking by preparing your cake pans, preheating the oven, chopping your walnuts and grating your carrots. You can make the batter in one mixing bowl, starting by combining the dry ingredients and then adding the wet ingredients. Split the batter into two 8-inch cake tins, and pop them in the oven. After being baked to perfection, they have to be left to cool before you can frost them.
The final steps are to assemble your cake. Frost with a vegan cream cheese frosting, stack the two layers together, and decorate with a generous portion of candied chanterelles. Store in the fridge until all of the cake has been devoured.
Woodsy Cinnabar Chanterelle Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- About 1 cup candied cinnabar chanterelles, and 1 cup candied chanterelle syrup
- 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before starting this recipe, make sure you have made the candied chanterelles as you will need the syrup for the cake batter. Grate the carrots and roughly chop the walnuts. Prepare 2 8-inch round cake pans with vegan butter and flour, and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Add the flour, baking powder, and spices to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the carrots, vegetable oil, plant-based milk, and vanilla on top and fold until the batter is just mixed. Add the walnuts and fold in. Divide the batter between the two pans, and place in the preheated oven. Cook until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool fully before assembly. Make your cream cheese frosting at this point.
- For a neater finish, level your cooked cakes (I don’t typically bother, but to your preference). Place the first cake on your cake plate, using a small amount of cream cheese frosting to “glue” to the plate. Add a generous dollop of frosting to the top of the cake, level, and sprinkle a few of your candied chanterelles on top. Place the second cake, and add more frosting, smoothing it over the top. I frosted the sides by pushing a bit of frosting off at the edges to create a drip effect. Add the remaining chanterelles on top, and enjoy!
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