The perfect Vegan Carrot Cake! It's perfectly spiced with a super moist crumb and is smothered in decadent, ultra-creamy vegan cream cheese frosting.
So spring is coming and you want to celebrate with a big, delicious vegan carrot cake? Yep, you've come to the right place because that perfectly spiced, super moist, cream cheese frosting smothered cake is coming right at you.
We're talking perfect flavour and texture thanks to the fragrant spices, freshly grated carrots, chopped (optional) pineapple, nuts and raisins. And we're talking lashings of delicious vegan cream cheese frosting slathered all over to make the best vegan carrot cake!
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What ingredients do I need and why?
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
Ok, let's take a look at what ingredients you will be needing to make this vegan carrot cake recipe, including what we will be using instead of eggs and why:
- Flour - I used all-purpose flour but you could easily switch it for white whole wheat flour and probably spelt too.
- Sugar - A combination of brown and regular cane sugar is best for sweetness, moisture and flavour.
- Nuts - Either pecans or walnuts do just fine. They add textural crunch and flavour. If you have a nut allergy simply omit them.
- Ground flaxseed - For binding and structure. This is because this is an egg-free carrot cake. You don't need to make a "flax egg" first. The ground flax just gets thrown in with the other dry ingredients as per the instructions.
- Baking Powder, baking soda and apple cider vinegar - Part 2 of the no egg solution. Although the flaxseed binds, it doesn't replace the leavening that eggs would provide so when making an egg-free carrot cake you have to make up for that by using extra baking powder and also baking soda which reacts with the vinegar (an acid) to create lift and lightness. Technically any acid will work so you could sub the vinegar for lemon juice or orange juice.
- Spices - Essential in carrot cake. Here we use a killer combo of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla for the very best flavour.
- Salt - Don't omit it. Even in sweet recipes, salt makes a massive difference to the flavour.
- Carrots - Freshly grated for maximum flavour and all-important moistness. See my tips for grating them quickly and easily below.
- Pineapple - If you're wondering why I make my vegan carrot cake with pineapple, it's because it adds so much more flavour, moistness and texture. I used canned pineapple but fresh is fine too. Since I published this recipe though, I've learned that pineapple in carrot cake is pretty controversial. I've since retested the recipe and if you don't want to use the pineapple you can safely omit it. There's no need to replace it with anything else.
- Golden raisins/sultanas - Not something you see in many carrot cakes but I think they are essential for those juicy little bites, and again more flavour and moistness. You can omit them if you prefer.
- Milk - Any unsweetened non-dairy milk is fine to use. I tend to use my cashew milk because I always have some on hand.
- Oil- Just about any will do here but don't use vegan butter. Oil is important for moistness in the finished cake. I typically use avocado oil in baking recipes but melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil are all fine.
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting - Made with vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and my magic ingredient arrowroot flour!
You will also be needing two 9 inch cake pans. I love USA Pan Cake Pans. They bake evenly and reliably, release perfectly and stay looking good as new. And although they release perfectly, for extra reassurance as no-one wants to risk damaging their cake while getting it out of the pan, it's best to line the bottom of the pans. I've just invested in some of these Silpat Cake Pan Liners and they make a great alternative to parchment paper.
How to make vegan carrot cake
It might feel daunting but egg-free carrot cake is actually not that difficult to make. Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2: Mix the liquid ingredients together in another bowl or jug.
Step 3: Add the carrots, pineapple, nuts and raisins to the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid ingredients and mix them up gently to make a very thick cake batter.
Step 5: Spoon into 2 cake pans, smooth the tops then bake.
Step 6: Leave to cool in the pans then remove and peel off the parchment paper or silicone liner.
Step 7: Then it's time to whip up the frosting and smother it between the cake layers and across the top and sides.
I went for a rustic look but feel free to get fancy with some fancy piping or garnishes. You could use chunks of pineapples, nuts, toasted coconut, cake crumbs, candied carrot shavings or store bought cake decorations.
How to grate carrots fast
For this vegan carrot cake recipe, you need 2 cups of grated carrot which works out to be about 3 large carrots. I don't recommend using pre-grated carrots because they don't have as much flavour as freshly grated carrots and they are drier and harder. We want the moisture from the carrot because it's what helps make our cake nice and moist. It also adds flavour.
Before grating the carrots, peel them and cut the tops off. Then:
- In a food processor with a grater attachment - Remember those attachments that came with your food processor? Well, it's time to dig them out because the shredding one does a fantastic job at grating carrot and other fruits/veggies like zucchini and apple. It's by far the quickest and easiest way to do it. I think it took probably about 20 seconds tops to do mine that way.
- In a food processor without a grating attachment - If you have a food processor (or a blender) but don't have a grating attachment you can use the blade instead. Simply break the carrots up so they fit into the bowl easily and then pulse until they are chopped into small pieces. Be careful you don't go too far and make them really tiny in size because some flecks of carrot throughout the cake are nice texturally and visually.
- With a box grater - The manual method and not nearly as fast as the previous methods but to be honest, it doesn't actually take long. Just be careful of your fingers!
What frosting goes on carrot cake?
The traditional and most common way to frost a carrot cake is with cream cheese frosting. The two pair so well together. Just like my vegan hummingbird cake, this recipe uses my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. It’s creamy and smooth and it tastes unbelievable with the cake’s deep spice flavor. If you don't want to use cream cheese frosting for your vegan carrot cake you could use regular vegan buttercream frosting
Success tips
For the very best results when making this recipe follow these tips:
- Line the bottom of your cake pans and grease the side.
- Use freshly grated carrots.
- Follow the recipe closely.
- Weigh the ingredients and use a measuring spoon when appropriate.
- If using melted coconut oil in the cake batter be sure your other ingredients are at room temperature to avoid it solidifying when you pour it in.
- With the exception of spices, don’t substitute ingredients. Especially ones that have structural impact. Every ingredient in this cake plays an important part in making the recipe successful.
- Don't add anymore than 1 teaspoon of extract to the frosting. It's important to keep liquid to a minimum.
- Don't over-mix the batter.
- Be sure to squeeze the liquid out of the pineapple as directed.
- Cool the cakes in their tins to trap the steam and keep them super moist.
- Vegan cream cheese isn't as stable as regular non-vegan cream cheese and over-beating it can make it too loose. Be sure to follow my directions for beating the vegan butter on it's own first before adding the cream cheese and don't skip the arrowroot!
- Don't frost until the cake layers are completely cool.
- The frosting is stable and stays thick and manageable , but if it starts to get too soft while you are frosting the cake, just pop the bowl of frosting, or the cake with frosting on in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before continuing.
Possible variations
Here are some vegan carrot cake variations that you could try:
- Omit the raisins or nuts
- Omit the pineapple (although it really makes this cake special so I highly recommend keeping it).
- Add up to ¼ cup / 25 grams shredded coconut to the batter and/or decorate the top and/or the sides with shredded coconut pressed gently into the frosting
- Add the zest of one orange to the cake batter
- Add orange, lemon or coconut extract to the cream cheese frosting instead of vanilla (don't use any more than 1 teaspoon though)
- Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting.
- Use a regular buttercream frosting or whipped coconut cream instead of the vegan crema cheese frosting.
To make vegan carrot cake gluten-free use a good 1 for 1 all-purpose gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.
Cake pan substitutions
- Two 10 inch cake pans - The layers will just be thinner. It should take about the same time to bake.
- 12 x 18 sheet pan - Grease generously and bake at 325°F for about 50 minutes until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake springs back when you press gently on the top with a finger. Let cool in the pan and frost in the pan.
- Half the recipe if you want to bake in a 9 x 5 pan or an 8 x 8 pan. Use your judgement for the bake time as I haven't tried it. Temperature can stay the same.
- Muffin pans - This full recipe will make quite a lot so you might want to reduce it by half or two-thirds.
Storage & freezing
Cover leftover frosted cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
This egg-free carrot cake can be made in advance. You can either bake the sponge layers the day before and allow them to cool in the pans as described, then cover tightly and leave at room temperature overnight. Or you can freeze the vegan carrot cake layers for up to 3 months. Simply bake, cool in the pans, then wrap really well and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge before frosting as per the recipe.
The vegan cream cheese frosting can also be made up to 2 days in advance. Covered it tightly and refrigerate. When you are ready to decorate, remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it softens slightly, then give it a quick mix with the electric mixer to fluff it up before frosting the cake.
I have not tried freezing the cream cheese frosting but as most vegan cream cheeses are tofu-based I would think that it might get a little grainy once frozen and defrosted. Probably a lot slacker too. I would recommend making the frosting fresh, or the day before needed, rather than freezing it to be safe.
Hungry for more?
If you love this vegan carrot cake recipe you might also enjoy:
- Healthy Carrot Muffins
- Vegan Hummingbird Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Vegan Gingerbread Cake
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Lava Cakes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Carrot Cake
Author:
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups + 2 teaspoons / 410 grams all purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK) see notes for GF
- 1½ cup / 300 grams dark brown sugar , or light brown
- ½ cup / 100 grams granulated white or cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1¼ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg , optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves , optional but recommended
- ¾ cup / 180 mls liquid oil , of choice (avocado, sunflower, vegetable, canola oil etc)
- 1 cup / 240 mls unsweetened plant milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup / 220 g drained canned or fresh pineapple (optional) , chopped into small pieces (can be safely omitted)
- 2 packed cups / 240 g / about 3 large grated carrots
- 1¼ cup / 130 grams pecans or walnuts , chopped into small pieces (omit to make nut-free)
- 1 cup / 160 g sultanas/golden raisins , optional but recommended
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup / 227 g / 8 oz vegan cream cheese , I use Tofutti
- ½ cup / 110 g vegan butter , see recipe notes
- 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch (arrowroot works best)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , Do not use more
- 4 to 5 cups / 500 to 625 grams powdered sugar
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C) and prepare two 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper or a silicone cake pan liner and grease the sides well with some oil or vegan butter. Set aside for now away from the hot oven.
- To a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground flax, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Mix them together well.
- To another bowl or jug add the oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla and stir them up.
- Take the chopped pineapple and squeeze the juice out of it in your fist over the sink. This is important so we get the flavour and texture without all of the additional moisture. Skip this step if you aren't using the pineapple.
- Put the (optional) pineapple, grated carrots, nuts and raisins in the bowl with the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir it all together well but gently, making sure you scrape right into the bottom but don't over mix. Do this fairly quickly and don't leave the batter sitting around once mixed. Move immediately onto the next step.
- Immediately spoon into the prepared cake pans. Even out with a spatula and bake for approximately 45 minutes. All cake pans and ovens cook differently so the time might not be exact. Use your judgement and test it with a toothpick, skewer or small sharp knife. Insert it into the middle and it should come out clean, the sides of the cake will be slightly coming away from the edges of the pan and when you poke the cake gently with a finger in the centre it should spring back. If that's not the case put it back in the oven for a few minutes longer.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack in their pans. Don't remove them from the pans until they are cool. This helps keep the cakes nice and moist. Allow a good few hours for them to cool completely.
- Make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Add the vegan butter to a large bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on a medium high speed until soft and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat again until combined and smooth.
- Add the arrowroot powder, salt, vanilla and about 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat on the lowest speed for about 20 seconds until the powdered sugar has stopped flying around, then add another 2 cups. Beat again on low until it's mostly combined then turn the speed up to medium high again and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the edges with a spatula as needed to get any dry powdered sugar off and into the mix. Add the remaining powdered sugar to thicken it as needed. Using it all makes the frosting much easier to handle and the cake easier to frost and slice. Do not be tempted to add any more liquid to the frosting at any stage because it will become too runny. Once done, cover the bowl and put in the fridge until needed.
- When the cake is completely cool, carefully remove one layer from its pan and place on a serving plate or cake stand, lined side up. Gently peel off the parchment paper/silicone liner.
- Remove the frosting from the fridge. If it feels too firm to spread leave it to soften for 10 minutes or so. (If you keep it in the fridge any longer than that it might need another quick 20 second beat to fluff it up again). Dollop the frosting generously onto the cake, making sure you save enough in the bowl for the top and sides. Spread it out evenly with a spatula or pallet knife, taking it almost but not quite to the edges. If at any point in the process the frosting starts softening too much just pop it and the cake in the fridge until it firm up a bit.
- Remove the other cake from its pan and place very gently on top of the frosted layer, lined side up. Peel off the liner gently and dollop on the remaining frosting. Spread it all over the top and down the sides if desired.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
NOTES
- Oil- Do not use vegan butter instead of the oil in the cake. Oil is important in this recipe for texture and butter detracts from the other flavours.
- Vegan Butter - A firmer butter like Earth Balance or my Vegan Butter recipe is recommended for the frosting. Soft vegan butter like Becel will lead to much softer/looser frosting.
- Arrowroot powder - Also sometimes called arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour. This really helps keep the frosting stable, thicker and firmer. You could use cornstarch instead but arrowroot works best.
- Pineapple - It appears that pineapple in carrot cake is controversial. If you want the cake to be at its absolute best I recommend leaving it in there as it adds great flavour and texture to the cake but if you don't want to use it you can safely omit it.
- If piping the frosting - The frosting is pretty stable thanks to the arrowroot powder, but if you want to pipe with it I recommend chilling it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will ensure it holds its shape. Do not add any liquid to the frosting other than the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or alternative extract if desired). Any more will affect the outcome of the frosting.
PAN SIZE NOTES:
- Two 10 inch cake pans - The layers will just be thinner. It should take about the same time to bake.
- 12 x 18 sheet pan - Grease generously and bake at 325°F for about 50 minutes until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake springs back when you press gently on the top with a finger. Let cool in the pan and frost in the pan.
- Half the recipe if you want to bake in a 9 x 5 pan or an 8 x 8 pan. Use your judgement for the bake time as I haven't tried it. Temperature can stay the same.
- Muffin pans - This full recipe will make quite a lot so you might want to reduce it by half or two-thirds. Fill cupcake liners almost to the top and bake on 350°F (175°C) for approximately 23 to 25 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick.
Gluten-free - To make vegan carrot cake gluten-free use a good 1 for 1 all-purpose gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1.
STORAGE & FREEZING: Cover leftover frosted cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. This cake can be made in advance. You can either bake the sponge layers the day before and allow them to cool in the pans as described, then cover tightly and leave at room temperature overnight. Or you can freeze the vegan carrot cake layers for up to 3 months. Simply bake, cool in the pans, then wrap really well and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge before frosting as per the recipe. The vegan cream cheese frosting can also be made up to 2 days in advance. Covered it tightly and refrigerate it. When you are ready to decorate, remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so that it softens slightly, then give it a quick mix with the electric mixer to fluff it up before frosting the cake.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Recipe FAQs
You can use chopped pecan nuts instead of walnuts, or omit the walnuts completely. They are included for flavour and texture and won't affect how the cake works technically.
Yes you can. The full recipe will make a lot though so you might want to reduce it by half or two-thirds.
I recommend keeping the pineapple as it adds great flavour and texture to the cake but if you don't want to use it you can safely omit it. There is no need to replace it with anything else.
This recipe was originally published on March 5th, 2020. I've updated the post with new information and now I am republishing it for you. The recipe itself remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
alice toth says
Has anyone tried making this in a Bundt pan?
Kimberly says
I made this for Easter dinner today in a loaf pan. It was the perfect texture... I used all the things and love the pineapple and raisins (I normally don't like raisins). Of course the cream cheese icing is awesome (that's my favorite part).
Joanie Lewis says
This cake is very delicious! I appreciate the metric numbers and have just started measuring this way. I used a sheet pan for the same amount of oven time and it was perfectly done. I used a basic powdered sugar icing instead of cream cheese (since I didn't have any cream cheese) and it was a home run hit at the birthday party! Thanks, Melanie!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and thank you for coming back to leave a rating/review. It's much appreciated!
Leanne says
Though I haven’t made this yet I’m sure I’d rate it 10 stars if I could.
Putting pineapple in carrot cake is truly the way to go, of coarse I’m Canadian and we also love pineapple on our (vegan) ham and pineapple pizza. if you’ve never tried it you’re missing out.
I was so happy to see this recipe and will be making it today for my daughters birthday.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hope you enjoy it!
Monique says
Great cake! Realized the morning of the birthday party that I didn't have any pineapple OR raisins. However, I added diced dried papaya, diced candied ginger, and coconut flakes instead. Moist, delicious, and easy! Love that I didn't have to take out the mixer.
Ida says
I made this for my husband's birthday yesterday and it was great! I ran out of all purpose flour though because we baked cookies the night before, so I subbed maybe 1/3 of the total amount of flour with whole spelt flour. It turned out fine. Also, I had problems with the crumbs coming up when I was frosting it, but it's not a big deal.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it Ida! If you have problems with crumby frosting again, I recommend spreading it with a spatula dipped in water (then shaken off). It really helps! You can also spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the outside then pop it in the fridge to set for 20 minutes. It acts as a barrier so when you add the rest of the frosting it goes on more easily. Hope that helps!
Patricia Giannelia says
My standard replacement for oil is applesauce, and white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, spelt or oat flours in place of white flour.
Both worked fine here to make a delicious, moist carrot cake, healthier and guilt free.
Fifi says
Hi,
Would aquafaba be an acceptable alternative to the flaxseed? Or will it be too much extra moisture?
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't recommend using aquafaba in this cake. The flax worked way better in tests. In a carrot cake it's important to minimize moisture or it could end up soggy. FLax works well for the texture because it absorbs excess moisture. Hope that helps!
Fifi says
I ended up using aquafaba and just reducing the milk volume by the same amount.
I also didnt have any cloves so just used ginger and cinnamon. I dont like raisins so I didnt put any of those in.
And it was delicious! It worked really well. Thanks for a great recipe
Carla Thomson says
Wow this cake is DELICIOUS!! Left out the walnuts to keep the kids happy, but used some to decorate the top along with some chopped dried apricots to keep me happy ;-) . Such a moist cake with a lovely spiced flavour. A big hit in our house. My 10 year old has requested it for her birthday cake next month.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you all enjoyed it Carla! It will make a great birthday cake!
Kim Arsenault says
OMG. This cake is beyond SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Make it!!!!! SO moist and flavorful - there were four of us (and one was a child) and we ate over half of it. One of the best cakes I've ever made. Seriously, make this cake!! I did find that the amount of icing was too much - it is very sweet - and I only used maybe 1/3 of the amount that I made. Next time I will make less. But holy cow, this cake is awesome. I'm having a hard time not eating the leftovers for breakfast......
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Kim! We had the same problem with eating half of it in one sitting!
Win Hawkins says
I'm allergic to pineapple. Can you suggest an alternative please? Apple sauce? Mango puree?
A Virtual Vegan says
A puree wont work because it will make the cake too wet. In this recipe the juice from the pineapple is squeezed out before you add it so it doesn't increase the moisture in the batter and make the sponge damp. So because of this I think you could safely get away with just omitting it. Or you could add some shredded coconut for texture instead maybe? 1/4 cup / 25 g would be a good amount.
Caroline says
I made this last night and it was delish! The whole fam loved it. I used frozen thawed pineapple and squeezed out the liquid. Would definitely make again!
A Virtual Vegan says
Really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review!
Ruchama says
I love carrot cake and this one sounds lovely. Except for one thing: I hate pineapple in carrot cake. Is it possible to leave it out without compromising the texture?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't baked it without the pineapple. As the pineapple has its moisture squeezed out before its added I doubt if it will make a huge difference if it's omitted except for the loss of texture from the little bits in the cake. Without trying it it's hard to say for sure but I'm pretty sure it will be ok.
Kate says
I can’t eat pineapple. Any suggestions as to what will work a a substitute?
A Virtual Vegan says
I don't think there's anything you could use as a substitute and I haven't baked it without the pineapple. But as the pineapple has its moisture squeezed out before its added I doubt if it will make a huge difference if it's omitted except for the loss of texture from the little bits in the cake. Without trying it it's hard to say for sure but I'm pretty sure it will be ok.