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A slice of carrot cake with frosting on a plate.

Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe

Moist, light and so simple to make, this vegan carrot cake is a great back-pocket recipe for gatherings, guests or simply to treat yourself.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Cakes
Cuisine: Holiday Recipes
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 15 squares
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Amanda Logan

Ingredients 

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 and ¼ cups (320g) flour
  • 1 cup pecans or walnut halves
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom optional

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 and ¼ cup / 310ml dairy-free milk
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ⅓ cup (255g) brown sugar
  • ½ cup (125ml) sunflower oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup apple sauce

Add In Ingredients

  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 225 g / 8 oz vegan cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup / 125g vegan butter room temperature
  • 3 cups icing sugar confectioner's sugar

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F) and line a 9" x13" inch rectangle baking pan or two 8-inch round pans.
  • Pop the pecans on a rimmed, lined baking tray and toast them in the preheated oven for around 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from the oven and, once cooled enough to handle, transfer them to a cutting board and chop them into small pieces. You can set a quarter cup aside to garnish the cake , if you like. Otherwise, we're going to fold them into the cake batter.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine the milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, sunflower oil, apple sauce and vanilla in a separate bowl.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.
  • Add the grated carrot, coconut and pecans and mix to combine. Don't overmix.
  • Transfer the batter to the pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes (25-30 minutes for the two round cakes) or until a skewer comes away clean from the centre.
  • Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 10-minutes before turning it out on to a cooling rack or plate. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting

  • To make the cream cheese frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer until well combined and light.
  • A cup at a time, add the sifted icing sugar and continue beating until well combined. After each cup is completely incorporated in to the frosting add the next cup until you have your desired sweetness and texture. I use anywhere between 2½ and 3 cups for a soft frosting similar to whipped cream.
  • Cover the cake in frosting and sprinkle with any reserved toasted nuts or serve as is.

Notes

Nutritional breakdown is for the cake only. 
Tips
Tip 1: Don't over-mix your batter. Mixing cake batter too much results in rubbery cake. Mix until all the ingredients are combined but no more.
Tip 2: Line your cake tin well and give it a light spray or grease for good measure.
Tip 3: Be patient. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting or it will slide right off.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2261IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried This Recipe?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.