Best-Ever Vegan Carrot Cake

This recipe for the Best Ever Vegan Carrot Cake is impossibly moist, perfectly spiced and coated in sumptuously smooth cream cheese frosting. If ever there was a cake to celebrate the onset of spring, this is IT!

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This post was originally published on 8/26/2016

Carrot Cake is one of those classic desserts that will never go out of style. This vegan version has all the bells and whistles, including crunchy walnuts and flaked coconut for an over-the-top delicious dessert.

Each of the three layers of this spice cake get a hefty dual dose of moisture from freshly shredded carrots and applesauce. Who doesn't love getting an extra serving of fruits and veggies disguised as dessert?

The resulting masterpiece is then slathered with everyone's favorite icing - tangy cream cheese frosting laced with a touch of vanilla. This vegan carrot cake recipe is one of my perennial favorites. I hope you'll give it a try this season!

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

Considering that we're making a layer cake, the 16 ingredients on our list seems much more reasonable. The following ingredients should be easily found at your local grocery store. Check out my ingredient notes for my recommended brands.

Here's everything that you'll need:

Ingredient Notes

• Vegan Cream Cheese - I recommend either Daiya or Tofutti. You can also make homemade cream cheese.
• Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
• Walnuts - When it comes to carrot cake, walnuts are the traditional nut of choice. That said, pecans would also make a lovely addition if you prefer. If you are nut free, simply omit them.
• Shredded Coconut - coconut adds delightful texture and just a hint of flavor to this spice cake. I recommend using unsweetened shredded coconut, but use what you have on hand. You can also omit it if you prefer.
• Applesauce - Adding applesauce to cake might sound strange, but it serves a dual purpose of making the cake moist and lending sweetness. I recommend using unsweetened organic applesauce, but cinnamon flavored applesauce will also work nicely here.
• Canola Oil - Any neutral flavored oil will do. If you don't have canola on hand, feel free to swap in grapeseed, corn, vegetable, or avocado oil.
• White Sugar/Brown Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
• Baking Soda AND Baking Powder - yes, you do need both. These leavening agents are important for keeping this rather dense cake from becoming altogether stodgy. If you want to learn more about the science of these ingredients, check out this cool article.

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you’ll need basic kitchen equipment such as a mixing bowl, utensils, and a 9″ cake pan. You will also need a blender or food processor. For the frosting, a handheld or stand-up mixer is ideal. (<<affiliate links)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One - Prepare Ingredients & Equipment

Preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of an 8" or 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with bottom and sides with oil. Set aside.

Using a handheld shredder or your food processor with the shredding attachment, shred the carrots. Set the carrots aside and wipe out the food processor. Add the walnuts and mix until they are broken down into uniform pieces.

Step Two - Make the Batter

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the applesauce, oil, white and brown sugars, and vanilla extract. Stir in the grated carrots and coconut.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, gently mixing to combine. Once you have an evenly-hydrated batter, fold in the walnuts. Take care not to overmix the batter or the cake will become gummy and dense.

Step Three - Bake the Carrot Cake

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake and bake for about 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the cake pan.

Let the cake continue to cool on a wire cooling rack. Once the cake is completely cool, remove from pan by flipping upside down and cut the cake into two or three layers.

Pro Tip: If you're worried about the cake tearing when you cut it horizontally, you can firm it up first. Once the cake has cooled completely, pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 1 hour. It'll hold up to your knife beautifully!

Step Four - Frost the Cake

In a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, and vanilla extract until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the mixer on its lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides between cups. Once all the powdered sugar is added, turn up the speed to medium and mix until smooth and creamy.

Once your cake is cut into layers, place about 1 cup of cream cheese frosting on the bottom layer of the carrot cake, smooth evenly with an offset spatula, and top with a second layer. Repeat one more time.

Sprinkle the top layer with toasted almonds or coconut and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cut into even slices and enjoy!

Serving and Storing

Serving - Slices of carrot cake are best enjoyed with people you love after a nutritious meal. If you have stored your cake in the refrigerator after assembly, I recommend letting it rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes prior to serving so that the frosting is perfectly soft and spreadable.

Storing - Assembled Vegan Carrot Cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you prefer to work ahead, you can make and freeze the cake base for up to a month. Cream cheese frosting can also be made and refrigerated up to a week ahead of assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Cake Recipes

• Best-Ever Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Triple Chocolate Beet Cake
• Individual Chocolate Espresso Cake
• Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon
• Vegan Banana Cake

For more inspiration, check out all my vegan cake and cupcake recipes.

Best Ever Vegan Carrot Cake

This recipe for the Best Ever Vegan Carrot Cake is impossibly moist, perfectly spiced and coated in sumptuously smooth cream cheese frosting. If ever there was a cake to celebrate the onset of spring, this is IT!

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 16 people

Calories: 486kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cup applesauce
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated carrots, washed and peeled
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup walnuts chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese at room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar sifted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make the Carrot Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of an 8" or 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with bottom and sides with oil. Set aside.
• Using a handheld shredder or your food processor with the shredding attachment, shred the carrots. Set the carrots aside and wipe out the food processor. Add the walnuts and mix until they are broken down into uniform pieces.
• In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the applesauce, oil, white and brown sugars, and vanilla extract. Stir in the grated carrots and coconut. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, gently mixing to combine. Once you have an evenly-hydrated batter, fold in the walnuts.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake and bake for about 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the cake pan. Let the cake continue to cool on a wire cooling rack.
• Once the cake is completely cool, remove from pan by flipping upside down and cut the cake it through the middle into two or three layers.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, and vanilla extract until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the mixer on its lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides between cups. Once all the powdered sugar is added, turn up the speed to medium and mix until smooth and creamy.

To Assemble the Cake

• To assemble the cake, carefully cut it in thirds. Once your cake is cut into layers, place about 1 cup of cream cheese frosting on the bottom layer of the carrot cake, smooth evenly with an offset spatula, and top with a second layer. Repeat one more time.
• Sprinkle the top layer with toasted almonds or coconut and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

Serving & Storing - If you have stored your cake in the refrigerator after assembly, I recommend letting it rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes prior to serving so that the frosting is perfectly soft and spreadable. Assembled Vegan Carrot Cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Make in Advance - If you’re trying to get a jump on things, you can make the actual cake part of the vegan carrot cake up to a month in advance. After cooling completely, wrap in plastic cling wrap thoroughly and pop in the freezer. The vegan cream cheese frosting can also be made up to a week in advance and kept in the refrigerator until decorating time. When you’re ready to decorate, allow the cake to defrost for at least an hour and the frosting to come to room temperature before proceeding.

Recipe Tips

1. Don’t over-mix the batter. By alternating the dries and wets into the batter, we are ensuring the batter does not get over-mixed and gummy.
2. Generously spray your cake pans. We do not want any of this delicious cake sticking to its edges.
3. Do not open the oven door while the cakes are baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cakes. You can check for doneness after 45 minutes.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the cake starts to get dark around the edges, you can cover it with tin foil to bake the last 10 minutes.
5. Let the cake cool at least 60 minutes in the cake pans before turning it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Let the lemon cake cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the cream cheese frosting will melt off.
6. If you are worried about your cake decorating skills, I’ve found that creating a “naked cake” where you only frost the top and the middle layers is the easiest way to go. If you want a little extra flair, feel free to artfully arrange some edible flowers into the top frosting layer.

Variations - For a gluten free alternative, simply swap in a gluten free all purpose flour blend. Just note that baking times may change a bit. You want to ensure that a wooden pick comes out clean before you turn off the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 347mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 69g | Vitamin A: 4285IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1.3mg