Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting
Rich, lightly spiced, moist vegan carrot cake with a tender crumb, brimming with grated carrots, juicy raisins, finished with a luxurious layer of vegan cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 12 (Makes a two layer 9-inch cake)
Calories: 316kcal
Cost: $14
Equipment
- Two 9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt or applesauce
- ½ cup canola oil sunflower oil, or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup coconut sugar brown sugar, or palm sugar
- 3 cups shredded carrot packed
- ⅔ cup hunza raisins or regular raisins
optional, but strongly encouraged:
- 1 cup pineapple diced
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup pecans
- 3 ½ cups vegan cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). For the easiest-to-remove cake, cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans. Then, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with any neutral-tasting oil of your preference.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plant-based yogurt or applesauce, plant milk of your choice of oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a separate bowl.
- With a rubber spatula, mix together the wet and dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a denser cake.
- Fold in the shredded carrots, raisins, and, if using, the diced pineapple, shredded coconut, and chopped nuts into the batter, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout.
- Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The exact time can vary based on whether you mix all of the extra goodies into the batter, so start checking a few minutes early to ensure the cake does not overbake.
- Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- When the cake is completely cool, use a serrated knife to evenly trim off the rounded dry “skin” on the top of each layer. Spread the vegan cream cheese frosting between the layers, over the top and sides, with a knife or offset spatula, creating a smooth or decorative pattern as desired.
- If you like, you can garnish the frosted cake with additional nuts, shredded coconut, a little dusting of cinnamon, or carrot shreds.
Notes
🌪️ Be Gentle With Me:
Gently fold them in when adding carrots, raisins, and extras to the batter. This method keeps the batter well-structured with less developed gluten for a more delicate, nicely crumbed cake.
🚪 Oven Door Discipline:
Avoid opening the oven door too often. Frequent temperature changes can make your cake fall or bake unevenly. Patience is key to a perfect bake.
❄️Cool It:
Wait for the cake to completely cool before frosting. Applying frosting to a warm cake will cause it to melt and look sad and sloppy.
Nutrition
Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5386IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg