Vegan Carrot Cake

Believe it or not, carrot cake can be easily made vegan (that is, without eggs, butter, or milk) and with very simple ingredients.

The flavor of vegan carrot cake is just as rich, and the texture is as soft and moist as that of a regular carrot cake.

The secret is getting the correct ratio of liquids, carrots, and flour. Follow our recipe to make the simplest and most delicious vegan carrot cake you'll ever eat.

Also, our carrot cake contains less sugar and oil than most recipes you'll find online. 

So we rely on spices, walnuts, and raisins for flavor, healthy fats, and sweetness.

Despite having less sugar, less oil, and no eggs, this cake's taste is incredible and rich, and the texture is light and moist, just like the carrot cake of your best dreams.

Serve it as is, or you can top it with our creamy and zesty vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting.

You can bake this cake round, squared, or rectangular; it will be delicious whatever shape you choose.

Carrots

Whole carrots are to be grated at home. Pre-grated carrots are too dry to make an excellent and moist carrot cake.

We recommend grating the carrots with the small holes of a box grater or with a food processor with a grating disc attachment.

Finely grated carrots literally melt in the batter and are more pleasant to eat than coarsely grated ones.

Flour

Use all-purpose flour for the best results.

You can also use half all-purpose and half-whole wheat. The whole wheat flour helps to absorb some of the moisture from the carrots, and it adds a nutty flavor to the cake.

To make it gluten-free, you can substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour mixture for the wheat flour.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and freshly grated ginger

Three spices that we love in carrot cake.

You can also add ¼ teaspoon of allspice and a pinch of clove.

Baking powder

It helps the cake rise and makes it a little lighter.

This vegan carrot cake recipe does not need baking soda or apple cider vinegar.

Salt

Use salt to bring out the flavor of the other ingredients. You won't taste it, don't worry. If you are on a low-sodium diet, omit the salt.

Brown Sugar

We like to use brown cane sugar to add the right amount of moisture and sweetness. White sugar works too.

You can use coconut sugar or date paste if you don't want regular sugar.

If you do so, remember that the cake will be less sweet, moister, and with a more natural taste.

Milk

Almond milk is our favorite in carrot cake, but any other plant milk would work, including soy milk and oat milk.

Oil

We use sunflower seed oil or canola oil. You can replace sunflower oil with any other neutral vegetable oil.

Unrefined vegetable oils are marginally healthier but will make your cake taste funny, so we don't recommend them.

You could replace oil with melted coconut oil or vegan butter, but they make the cake heavier.

Make it oil-free by substituting applesauce for the oil.

Vanilla extract

Optional, although always welcome. It adds a warm flavor to the carrot cake.

Walnuts

Optional, but we recommend adding some chopped walnuts. You can replace walnuts with pecan nuts.

Raisins

They are optional, but they add some natural sweetness to the cake and make it really delicious.

Note: there is absolutely no need for flax eggs in this vegan carrot cake.

We make a delicious vegan cream cheese frosting by whisking together vegan butter, dairy-free cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest or lime zest.

Note: different countries have different brands of dairy-free cream cheese. In the US, some good ones are Kite Hill, Daya, or store brands like Aldi and Trader Joe's.

Equipment

This cake is best in a 9-Inch square baking pan (23 x 23 cm) or in a 9-Inch round cake pan (23 cm) or in a 11x7-Inch rectangular baking dish (28 x 18 cm).

Grate the carrots

Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Butter the sides of your pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Wash and peel the carrots, then grate them with the small holes of a box grater. Set aside.

You can also use a food processor with a grating attachment or an electric grater.

Tip: finely grated carrots melt in the batter as the cake cooks, releasing moisture and carrot flavor evenly, making the cake perfectly moist and delicious.

Make the cake batter

To a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, grated nutmeg, all-spice, salt, and baking powder.

Whisk dry ingredients until well combined and set aside.

To the same bowl, add non-dairy milk (we use almond milk), oil (we use canola oil), vanilla extract, grated ginger, and stir with a spoon/spatula until barely combined (15 seconds). Don't over-mix it.

Note: overmixing will activate the flour gluten and make your cake denser and less fluffy, so try to mix as little as possible.

Add the grated carrots

Add grated carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins, and fold them in.

The batter should be quite thick as the carrots release moisture while baking.

Bake the vegan carrot cake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the oven at 340°F or 170C for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Let the vegan carrot cake cool down for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer it onto a wire rack and cool down completely, or for about 3 hours.

Make the frosting

Add softened vegan butter, the zest of one lemon, and the vanilla extract to a bowl.

Whisk with a hand mixer until the butter turns creamy.

Add the cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer until combined.

Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Store it in the fridge to set if you don't apply it on the cake immediately.

Tip: you can add between 1 cup and 4 cups of powdered sugar based on your taste. We like it with 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar.

When the cake has cooled down, spread the frosting on top, slice it and enjoy.

You can garnish with chopped walnuts nuts on top.

Italian carrot and orange cake

Follow our Italian carrot cake recipe and try a surprisingly easy, zesty carrot and orange cake. This one is extra moist and packed with flavor. Plus, you can make it with no effort in a blender. We love it!

Carrot cake cupcakes or muffins

Transfer the cake batter to a 12-piece muffin pan and bake in a preheated oven at 340°F or 170°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

You can serve them for breakfast as they are or apply frosting for an indulgent snack or dessert.

Carrot cake donuts

Aren't they cute? You need donut molds, fill them, and bake at 340°F or 170°C for about 20 minutes.

You can use this vegan carrot cake recipe or our Italian carrot cake recipe for these little ones. They are cute and delicious.

If you applied the frosting, store the carrot cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you didn't apply the frosting, store the carrot cake at room temperature under a cake dome or in a food-grade plastic bag for up to 5 days.

You can freeze the carrot cake if you like; without topping is easiest.

Let it cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving it.

More Vegan Cakes

If you're curious about more easy cake recipes that you can make with staple ingredients, check out these sweet ideas:

• Coffee cake with hazelnut filling
• Pear cake: an easy 8-ingredient cake recipe
• 8-ingredient apple cake with tender and lovely apple pieces
• Vegan lemon cake with lemon custard, the batter whips up in just 5 minutes!
• Lemon blueberry loaf with vanilla-lemon glaze, a perfect easy dessert for autumn

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