1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line three springform tins (18cm)* with baking parchment, grease and dust with flour. Set aside. Mix the ground chia seeds with the water and let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken so you get chia paste aka. chia eggs.

2. In a bowl mix flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger and salt until combined. Set aside. Peel the carrots and shredd. Cover until needed.

3. Add both sugars to a large bowl and add the chia paste. Mix until well combined. While still whisking, add the oil slowly in a steady stream and mix on medium-high speed – for about 2-3 minutes. Add the shredded carrots and flour mixture to the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add the pecans and fold in.

4. Transfer the batter into the three tins – each one should be filled with the same amount of batter. Smooth out the surface and bake the cake layers for about 28-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. To get evenly baked cake layers, I normally wrap wet paper towel around the tin to prevent the cake to bulge in the center. Let cool down completely on a wire rack.

5. For the frosting add the vegan butter (margarine) to a large bowl and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Add half of the confectioner’s sugar and mix first on low speed then on high speed until well combined. Add vinegar, vanilla extract, lime juice and salt and mix. Finally, add the remaining confectioner’s sugar and mix until all is light and fluffy.

6. Place the first cake layer on your serving plate and spread a good amount of frosting on top. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting and repeat – finish with the last cake layer. Crumb coat the cake and place it in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. Finish the cake by decorating it with the remaining frosting. How you do it is up to you – clean or rustic/messy is both fine. Sprinkle with some chopped pecans.