This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
This Vegan Carrot Cake has sugar, spice, and everything nice! It's loaded with warm spices and has a tender-sweet crumb that will melt in your mouth.
If you haven't tried Vegan Carrot Cake yet, you're going to love this version! It's just as delicious as the original and nobody will know the difference. You can make it for Easter or any time of the year.
WHAT DOES CARROT CAKE TASTE LIKE?
Ironically, it doesn't taste much like carrots at all. It has a very subtle carrot flavor, but the cake gets most of its flavor from the brown sugar, vanilla, and warm spices. It's heavenly! The cake consistency is dense, ultra-moist and tender. It will melt in your mouth!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CARROT CAKE
(full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)
- Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and then whisk in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium mixing bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
- Now add the oil, applesauce, sugar, brown sugar, prepared flax egg, and vanilla to the medium bowl with buttermilk. Whisk to combine well
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk together until just combined. Small lumps are fine. (*Don't over mix).
- Gently fold in the carrots to combine.
- Divide batter between 2 8-Inch Pie Pans and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. To check for doneness, lightly press the surface - It should spring back. You can also insert a toothpick in the middle. It should come out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before removing. Then let them cool on a rack completely before frosting.
WHICH FROSTING IS BEST FOR CARROT CAKE?
I love topping it with my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, but you can use Vegan Buttercream Frosting or any type you prefer. You can also use Store-Bought Vegan Frosting or even leave it plain.
If you want to frost your cake as I did in the photos (it's called naked cake frosting), you'll only need one batch of my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting instead of two. It's really easy to do and requires minimal effort. Here's a Short Video Tutorial for a how-to visual.
CAN YOU FREEZE IT?
Yes, carrot cake freezes really well and thaws perfectly! You can freeze it in portions, so you'll have a slice ready when your sweet tooth kicks in.
I haven't tried freezing it with the frosting though. I'm sure it would work, but the frosting could dry out a bit and maybe crack. This also depends on which brand of cream cheese that you use. I'll update when I give it a try.
Do you love sweets? You may like these too:
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this Vegan Carrot Cake, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup soy milk or any plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (sub lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 5 tablespoons water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup grapeseed oil or any neutral flavored oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Additional Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups carrots , finely grated (not matchstick)
- Double batch Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (*see note)
- ⅓ cup walnuts , chopped or crushed (*optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Line the bottom of 2 8-inch Cake Pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min. It will thicken and gel up a bit.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Combine and let it sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk. It will thicken and curdle slightly. Set aside. (soy milk curdles the best)
- In a large mixing bowl with a Mesh Strainer on top (or use a Flour Sifter), sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Now whisk to combine well. Set aside.
- In the medium bowl with the buttermilk, add the oil, applesauce, white and brown sugar, prepared flax egg, and vanilla. Whisk to combine well.
- Now slowly pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk together until just combined. Small lumps are fine. (*Don't over mix). Gently fold in the carrots to combine.
- Divide batter between both pans and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. To check for doneness, lightly press the surface - It should spring back (You can also use a toothpick and push it through the center - it should come out mostly clean).
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing. Then let them cool on a rack completely before frosting. Frost and top with walnuts if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Kay
Hi Melissa, GF versian would be nice.
Melissa Huggins
I will have to experiment. 🙂
mary
Wow this looks so good. I love the flavorings - going to give it a go - just what we need 🙂
Lisa
Cake and frosting came out perfect, and I'm not one that has a lot of cake success. Absolutely delicious!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, Thank you for giving it a try! I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂
Sóley
I Made this for my 16th birthday and everybody loved it! My father who isn’t even vegan said that this was the BEST Carrot Cake he had ever eaten!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! So glad everyone liked it! Thank you for giving it a try. Happy belated birthday! 🙂
Laurel Suslo
I made this for Easter brunch. This is hands down the best carrot cake I have ever had!! Amazing! I will be making this cake on a regular basis!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Laurel, This is the greatest compliment! Thank you for giving the cake a try. Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Iris Urena
This cake knocked it out of the park at our Easter lunch!! My friends kept saying how delicious it was. There were no left overs. I am also going to make this for my birthday, I am looking forward to having it again! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Iris, I'm so happy that everyone loved it! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. Happy Early Birthday! 🙂
mark
Made this carrot cake yesterday and the cake looks and tastes great. The cake was soft and perfectly balanced with carrot and hint of spice (I added a half tsp of ground ginger). Good tip about using finely grated carrots too. Made it as a single layer in a 9x13” this time because of the number of slices I needed. Everyone loved it and I reckon this will be my go to vegan carrot cake recipe. Thanks Melissa!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Mark! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe and that it was a crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Connie Fisher Newhan
Has anyone tried it with gluten free flour?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Connie, I haven't tried this recipe with GF flour yet. I wish I could be more help.
Graciela Torres
This looks beautiful! I'm gathering ingredients to make this on Friday as a treat for the fam. Thanks for the awesome recipe!