With a scrumptious, moist crumb and a creamy, velvety vegan cream cheese frosting, that is really the greatest vegan carrot cake recipe you’ll make and eat. Walnuts add fantastic crunch in each chunk.
Who does not love carrot cake? Particularly when it has a delicate and silky crumb and melts in your mouth in a pool of cinnamon-scented sweetness? This vegan carrot cake is all that and a lot extra.
I’ve had this vegan carrot cake recipe on the weblog for years now and it’s the dessert I make most frequently for company as a result of everybody who eats it raves about it. Many have instructed me it is the perfect carrot cake they’ve ever eaten.
There’s a lot to like about this recipe, and I do not simply imply the deliciousness of it. Because the baker you’ll love the convenience of creating it, and the truth that you possible have already got most of those components readily available.
Go on, strive it this Easter or simply for a comfy anytime deal with as a result of why not? Be sure you come again for seconds!
Desk of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Totally scrumptious. Should you keep in mind grandma’s carrot cake with oodles of nostalgia, you’ll love this cake as a result of it has that basic carrot cake taste, solely minus the dairy and eggs. The cake has a super-moist texture and is completely candy with simply the correct quantity of carrot taste to make you go yum! The delicate, creamy cream cheese frosting is past scrumptious.
- Wholesome-ish. It is a dessert so I’m not going to make outrageous claims about how wholesome it’s, however there are carrots on this recipe and walnuts, each great-for-you components, together with applesauce. If you wish to you can also make this recipe with entire wheat pastry flour. I typically use it as a substitute of all-purpose flour and it makes an equally magnificent cake.
- Straightforward recipe. This two-layer carrot cake recipe is kind of easy and easy and when you comply with directions and use the best components you simply can’t go fallacious. I’ve made this cake dozens of occasions and it seems good every time!
- Dairy-free, soy-free and might be nut-free. The cake is pleasant to most diets. If you’re nut-free simply skip the walnuts.
Components
Scroll all the way down to recipe card for precise portions of every ingredient.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour. You can too use entire wheat pastry flour or substitute half the all-purpose flour with common entire wheat flour.
- Leavening brokers: Baking soda + Baking powder
- Floor cinnamon. Cinnamon alone provides unimaginable taste however you can too add nutmeg and/or a touch of ginger for extra yum.
- Sugar. I used turbinado sugar however any granulated sugar is nice right here. You can too use brown sugar.
- Coconut oil. Or any vegetable oil. If utilizing coconut oil make sure that it’s melted and never stable earlier than including it to the batter. The coconutty taste of virgin coconut oil is fabulous on this recipe and the oil additionally retains the cake extraordinarily moist.
- Applesauce. Applesauce contributes to creating the cake very tender and moist and helps bind the cake with none eggs or flax eggs (which, albeit wholesome, add a taste I do not love on this cake). Applesauce can even present the acidity wanted to mix with the baking soda and make the cake airier, no want for apple cider vinegar! You may exchange ½ a cup of the applesauce with vegan yogurt.
- Carrots. These are the celebs of the recipe.
- Pure vanilla extract. Though not purely needed, vanilla provides a pleasant depth to the sweetness of the cake. Skip when you’d relatively.
- Walnuts. Pecans are a fantastic substitute.
- Vegan cream cheese. Use any model of your selection. I used two 7.1 oz tubs of Violife. I’ve made this frosting with different manufacturers like Tofutti up to now they usually work equally effectively.
- Vegan butter
- Powdered sugar
Methods to make vegan carrot cake
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a big mixing bowl.
Whisk within the salt and cinnamon and every other spices, if utilizing.
In a smaller bowl, place the moist components: grated carrots, applesauce, sugar, pure vanilla extract and melted coconut oil.
Combine the moist components.
Pour the moist components into the dry components.
Fold the moist components into the dry with a spatula till the batter comes collectively and there’s no dry flour within the bowl. Stir in toasted and chopped walnuts.
Divide the batter evenly between two greased and floured 9- or 8-inch cake pans. Ideally line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper for straightforward unmolding.
Bake the truffles in a preheated 350-degrees Fahrenheit/175 levels Celsius oven for 35 minutes or till a toothpick or skewer inserted within the middle comes out clear. Let the pans stand on a rack to chill for quarter-hour, then unmold and proceed cooling on wire racks.
To make the cream cheese frosting, place the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in a bowl and use an electrical mixer to beat till delicate and fluffy, a few minute. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and beat in.
Proceed including extra sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beating, till the frosting is easy and creamy. Refrigerate for ½ hour earlier than frosting the cake.
Frost the cake by inserting one cake on a plate or cake stand. Unfold half the frosting over the cake, then place the opposite cake on prime and frost with the remainder of the cream cheese combination. Sprinkle extra toasted walnuts on prime, if desired.
Useful ideas
- You do not have to sift the flour however I strongly advocate you do as a result of it aerates the flour, producing softer, fluffier truffles. Sifting additionally helps the baking soda and baking flour combine evenly with the flour.
- For a fair richer cake, substitute ½ cup of the applesauce with vegan yogurt.
- Toasting the walnuts or pecans frivolously earlier than including them to the batter will deepen their nutty taste, making them–and the cake–even extra scrumptious.
- Ensure that the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter are each at room temperature earlier than you start making the frosting. In any other case you’ll find yourself with a lumpy frosting. It will not be past restore, however you’ll get higher and faster outcomes while you start with room-temperature components.
- If you do not have time to make frosting, serve the cake as is. It’s scrumptious by itself.
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: You may retailer the carrot cake, lined, at room temperature for as much as three days. You can too refrigerate it, once more lined, for as much as every week.
- Freeze: Freeze particular person slices, double wrapped in freezer wrap, for as much as 4 months.
- Thaw the cake earlier than serving.
Recipe FAQs
Sure, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix.
No dessert with sugar and fats in it is going to be completely wholesome, however this vegan carrot cake has no ldl cholesterol, not like common carrot cake, as a result of it’s dairy-free. Utilizing unrefined sugar and components like applesauce, along with the carrots and nuts, retains it more healthy than many different desserts.
You completely can. You should use a 9 X 13 inch rectangle baking pan to make a single cake or a ten to 12 cup bundt pan. Simply you’ll want to grease and flour the pan thoroughly–grooves and all.
You actually can. The batter will make 24 cupcakes, bake them for 20-25 minutes or till a toothpick within the middle of a cupcake comes out clear. Or simply make these wonderful vegan carrot cake cupcakes.
Raisins are wonderful on this recipe. Add ½ to 1 cup of raisins to the batter together with or as a substitute of the nuts.
You may, however the applesauce will lead to an extremely moist and flavorful cake and you’ll lose a few of that by utilizing milk alone. Should you nonetheless wish to use non-dairy milk, use oat milk or soy milk, ideally, or almond milk is okay too. Add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to it.
Extra yummy vegan carrot recipes
Should you love this vegan carrot cake, you’ll want to try extra vegan cake recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Vegan Carrot Cake
With a scrumptious, moist crumb and a creamy, velvety vegan cream cheese frosting, that is really the perfect vegan carrot cake recipe you’ll make and eat. Walnuts add fantastic crunch in each chunk.
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Servings: 16 slices
Energy: 535kcal
Components
For vegan cream cheese frosting
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Directions
Make the vegan carrot cake
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Preheat the oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit/175 levels Celsius. Put together the cake pans by greasing and flouring them. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper to assist with unmolding.
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Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a big bowl. Whisk within the salt and cinnamon and every other spices, if utilizing.
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In a smaller bowl, place the moist components: grated carrots, applesauce, sugar, pure vanilla extract and oil. Combine completely with a spoon or spatula.
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Pour the moist components into the flour combination. Combine with a spatula till the batter comes collectively and there’s no dry flour within the bowl. Stir in toasted walnuts.
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Divide the batter evenly between the ready pans. Ideally line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper for straightforward unmolding.
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Bake the truffles for 35 minutes or till a toothpick within the middle comes out clear. Let the pans stand on a rack to chill for quarter-hour, then unmold and proceed cooling on wire racks. Cool the truffles completely earlier than frosting.
Make vegan cream cheese frosting
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Place the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in a bowl and use an electrical mixer to beat till delicate and fluffy, a few minute. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and beat in.
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Proceed including extra sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beating, till the frosting is easy and creamy. Refrigerate for ½ hour earlier than frosting the cake.
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Frost the cake by inserting one cake on a plate or cake stand. Unfold half the frosting over the cake, then place the opposite cake on prime and frost with the remainder of the cream cheese combination. Sprinkle extra toasted walnuts on prime, if desired.
Diet
Serving: 1slice | Energy: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Trans Fats: 1g | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 2684IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
