Happy Birthday Mama and Michael Jackson!

It's my mom's 50th birthday today, and Michael Jackson's, so we are having a big party at my house. It's not just her birthday we are celebrating though- it's my sister's and 3 cousins, too. So our house is gonna be a complete disaster when everyone leaves. haha I'm really excited because I love parties!! Plus, I don't have to work today!! Thank God. I do have a ton of homework that I've been avoiding all weekend, but I'll get around to it tonight.

I made my mom's birthday cake because homemade is ALWAYS better. She got a gigantic cake for the rest of the birthday people because my sister wanted a Spongebob cake. She's obsessed with Spongebob and yes, she is 17. It's a vegan carrot cake made in a bundt cake pan. I found the recipe on "Live It Up Vegan" and I have been dying to make it. It turned out so beautiful, and I can't wait to try it. It's a fairly healthy cake, so I won't be shy about eating half of it. haha

Here's the recipe:
Carrot Cake

• 1 cup all purpose whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup fine turbinado sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups grated organic carrots (not too packed)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For Cream Sheese filling:

• about 1 container of Creamy Sheese original (about 250g) (or non-hydrogenated Tofutti Cream Cheese)
• 1/4 cup fine turbinado sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375F and lightly oil a Bundt Cake pan (or a 9-in round cake pan - or even a muffin pan for cupcakes or muffins). Grate the carrots with the food processor and set aside until needed.

2. In a big bowl, sift together the first 7 dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whip together the oil, water, applesauce and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix the Creamy Sheese, sugar and cornstarch/water mixture. Set aside.

5. Add the liquid ingredients in the medium bowl to the dry ingredients in the big bowl. Mix to incorporate only (don’t overmix). Add 3 cups of grated carrots and the walnuts. Again, mix to incorporate only.

6. Pour half to 2/3 of the cake batter into the Bundt cake pan. Pour the Cream Sheese mixture on top of the batter. Then delicately spread the rest of the cake batter on top of the Sheese to cover it completely.

7. Bake in the oven between 45 and 55 minutes, depending on your oven or the cake pan you have chosen (it may very well take longer for a regular 9-in pan and a shorter amount of time if you use a muffin pan - generally 20 to 25 minutes for muffins). Verify “doneness” with the blade of a knife or a long skewer, if you have one - I find that toothpicks are too short for this cake when baking in a Bundt pan.

8. Let cool completely then turn over a serving plate and sprinkle with unfiltered icing sugar (Wholefood Sweeteners) before serving.