Easy Vegan Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is a classic dessert (vegan or not) but was especially popular in the 70s and 80s and every natural restaurant or local health food store had a version. I wanted to make a recipe that was not only delicious but easy. I have another amazing carrot cupcake recipe on the site but it’s a bit fussy and this easier recipe can be made in one bowl with ingredients you likely have on hand and no special egg replacers!

So what makes this easy and better than the million other recipes out there? Well as I mentioned, there’s no special egg replacers needed. Most ingredients you should have. It’s made in a standard 9×13 sheet pan (but you could fancy it up as cupcakes or a layer cake) and frosted right in the pan. We’re using my favorite “reverse creaming” method which starts with coating the dry ingredients with fat first preventing them from absorbing moisture and forming gluten resulting in a tender cake every time. This is the opposite of most creaming methods for cakes. The only real fussy part about this cake is shredding the carrots but a food processor makes easy work of that.

I am using applesauce in this cake as it’s a natural complement to the flavors but that’s not good enough on it’s own as an egg substitute as it contains no fat like regular eggs do so we’re using vegan sour cream as well but a smaller amount than my other cake recipes call for but enough to make a difference. This has all the warm spices you’ll normally find but has a little allspice too which rounds out the flavors.

So the age old dilemma. Raisins or no raisins? I personally love them but I know others have strong feelings about them. Feel free to add them if you love them. They add another level of sweetness and tartness but you could also add dried cranberries and even orange flavored ones would be great in this cake.

This cake freezes well and my frosting is about half the amount I normally make but frosts this sheet cake perfectly. If you’re going to make a layer cake then double the recipe. Make sure your vegan butter and cream cheese are at room temperature so they blend easily. I hope you enjoy this cake which always reminds me of spring celebrations.

Easy Vegan Carrot Cake

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 7 votes

Course: Desserts, Easy Eats, HolidayCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

The best and easiest vegan carrot cake you’ll ever make!

Ingredients

• Carrot Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1 cup plain vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream (or plain vegan yogurt)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup vegan milk

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 4 average carrots, lightly packed in a measuring cup – see notes)

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

• Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature

• 4 oz vegan cream cheese (room temperature)

• 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted to remove lumps)

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

Directions

• Carrot Cake
• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. You can also use a hand or stand mixer.
• Add the oil and vegan sour cream and mix on low to combine and coat all of the dry ingredients for 1-2 minutes. This will prevent the wet ingredients from being absorbed and forming gluten.
• Add the vinegar to the milk and whisk to combine and let sit for a minute to form buttermilk. Add this and the applesauce and vanilla to the mixing bowl and combine for 2-3 minutes. At this point, the batter can’t be over mixed so don’t worry. Add the carrots and walnuts and raisins (if using) and combine thoroughly for about a minute scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed to make sure everything is combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and level out with a spoon or spatula. Rap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. All ovens vary so start checking at 30 minutes for doneness. Cool cake completely before frosting.
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Combine the room temperature butter and cream cheese until completely mixed. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until completely smooth. If it seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time and if it seems too thick, add a teaspoon or two (one at a time) of vegan milk to loosen it.
• Frost the cake with an offset spatula or spoon and sprinkle some additional nuts over the top if desired. Cake will freeze well if necessary.

Recipe Video

Notes

• I use a food processor to shred carrots then I pulse them a few times in the bowl using the metal blade to make them a little smaller. You can also shred them on a box grater.
  
• Use a thick vegan cream cheese for the frosting like Tofutti or Violife brand. Whipped ones aren’t recommended.
  
• Cake can also be made and a layer cake or cupcakes. Baking times will vary.

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