Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Vegan Carrot Cake

Vegan Carrot Cake: Last week was my eldest son's birthday, and I had fun planning and organizing the party. After much deliberation, I ended up baking a decadent vegan carrot cake. But the decision was not very easy.

He turned 7. I see a sudden change in his likes and dislikes. He was this little kid watching Max and Ruby, Caillou and Diego even 2 months back and suddenly everything changed. He is into Power Rangers, Avengers, rockets/spaceships, etc. I'm still wondering how all of this happened in such a short span of time. So I had difficulty figuring out what sort of party to plan.

Wish it was as easy as when he turned 3, and all I had to do was bake this gorgeous eggless chocolate cake.

I was thinking of making a rocket-shaped cake, but a trial run didn't work out as expected, and we had a lot of cake. I didn't want to keep testing it repeatedly and baking a lot of cake. Then we had the black-or-white debate. My son and I prefer chocolate cake but my husband and mother-in-law like vanilla cake. So my husband suggested baking a two-in-one cake; with vanilla on one side and chocolate on the other.

I started looking for ideas to bake a two-tone cake. That made me think about what frosting to choose. Would that be 2 flavors too or just one? I was literally pulling my hair to figure it all out.

Vegan Carrot Cake

Then I had this "light-bulb" moment. I decided to bake one 9-inch round layer cake for adults and a few cupcakes both chocolate and vanilla for the kids. I would frost the 9-inch layer cake and my son would cut it and keep the cupcakes as it is for the kids to frost and decorate themselves. For the 9-inch layered cake, I decided to bake the vegan carrot cake from Sticky Fingers' Sweets by Doron Petersan. I also wanted to try the vegan cream cheese frosting recipe she had in the book.

For the cupcakes I used my eggless vanilla cake recipe (veganized it) and whacky vegan chocolate recipe. My original plan was to bake regular-size cupcakes, but then I decided to go with mini cupcakes.

I thought by doing so the kids could enjoy both flavors if they wanted to. I laid down a variety of sprinkles, buttercream frosting, and chocolate frosting on a tray and the kids had to do the icing by themselves. I was unsure if a cupcake party would go well with a group of 7-10-year-old boys. But I was surprised when I saw that they loved it. The kids had a fun time frosting and decorating the cupcakes. I wonder if they were able to settle down for bed that night after all that sugar rush!

Cupcake Toppings

Even though I had planned everything well in advance, I had one issue. I would not be able to taste the carrot cake until it was cut by my son. So I was really worried and was even thinking of getting a cake from the store and keeping it ready just in case. As soon as the carrot cake came out of the oven I was eager to level it off for frosting so that I could taste the crumbs and make a decision.

Unfortunately, the cake did not bake with a big dome like the usual white/chocolate cakes. It was a very thin layer cake and almost flat without needing to be trimmed. Even then I did not let get off it. I slightly leveled it off and tasted the crumbs and was relieved. It was good, but I was not jumping up and down. Then I prepared the frosting too. The frosting tasted good on its own and later with the cake too. Once the cake was frosted it got a decent height. Otherwise, the 2 layers looked very small, making me doubt whether it would be enough for the 6-8 adults.

Vegan Carrot Cake

I had baked a big batch of the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, anticipating the carrot cake not coming through as expected. I thought that if I screwed up with the cake, I would also serve the cupcakes for the adults. Fortunately, the vegan carrot cake did not disappoint me; it was a huge hit with everybody.

The adults asked, "are you seriously telling that this carrot cake is vegan?". It was that good. I'm glad I tried this vegan carrot cake recipe on such a special day.

TOP RATED

Vegan Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Prep TimeCook TimeMakes
20 Mins18 MinsTwo 9" Round Cakes/18 Cupcakes
AuthorCategoryMethod
CakesBaking
Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
4.9 from 26 reviews
If you are not convinced about vegan baking and still have doubts about how it tastes, then do try this vegan carrot cake with vegan cream cheese frosting and be prepared to be blown away!
Ingredients For Cake:
Part 1:
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Part 2:
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil
Part 3:
  • 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Substitutions:
  • almond milk - any non-dairy milk
  • coconut oil - any flavorless oil
Ingredients For Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (like Earth Balance)
  • 12 ounces non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese (like Tofutti), softened
  • 4 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (I didn't use it)
  • 2 to 4 drops lemon oil, to taste (I didn't use this either)
Instructions For Cake:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C for 15 minutes.
  2. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
  3. Mix the Part 1 ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Add the milk and oil to the bowl and stir to combine.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients mentioned in Part 3.
  6. Add the dry and wet ingredients and mix until just combined. It's okay if the batter is slightly lumpy.
  7. evenly Distribute the batter between the two pans. I measured out the batter, and it was 3 cups in total. So 1.5 cups of batter in each pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Mine was done in 18 minutes itself. The cake started pulling out of the sides of the pan.
  8. Place the pans on a cooling rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Turn the pan upside down to remove the cakes and cool it completely before frosting.
Instructions For Frosting:
  1. In a large bowl beat the shortening until smooth using an electric mixer.
  2. Add the cream cheese and beat until its thoroughly incorporated.
  3. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and rest of the ingredients, if using, and beat until smooth. I added the sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. You can dump everything in if you are using an electric stand mixer. But if you are using a hand-held mixer like me then add the sugar in small additions.
Taste:
  1. Both the cake and the cream cheese frosting turned out to be DELICIOUS! Everybody at the birthday party enjoyed this cake very much. I personally felt that the cake tasted great the following day. I don't know if it was just me because, on the day of the party, I was already full of pizzas and other food that I could not judge the cake. Even when everybody else praised it I could not see it. But the next day I could fully appreciate the taste and texture, which was AMAZING! I'm 100% confident that nobody can guess that it is a vegan carrot cake with vegan cream cheese frosting.
My Notes:
  1. The original cake recipe used 3/4th cup of whole wheat pastry flour. I didn't have it so I used all-purpose flour itself.
  2. If you are a spice fan increase the quantity of ground cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.
  3. The original frosting recipe suggests that the frosting can be made in advance and refrigerated and covered properly. Bring it back to room temperature to soften before using.
  4. The frosting should be for a 9-inch layered cake, but I still have about a cup and a half of frosting left. I used a lot for the filling, sides, and top of the cake. I feel that using the entire recipe for that cake is way too much. Now I have to look for a way to use that frosting.
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Try this recipe, click a pic and hashtag it #egglesscooking - Proudly showcase your creations on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

I also made these ricotta cheese sweet balls (doodh peda) from here and it was a huge hit too.

doodh peda

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141 COMMENTS

  1. NS

    Hi,

    Thank you so much for this recipe.

    I do not have white sugar with me now. Can I add just Brown sugar alone – 1 Cup?

    Thanks!

    • Madhuram

      Yes you can NS.

  2. Breanna Toney

    I just want to thank you so much for this recipe! I have scoured the internet so long for the perfect eggless carrot cake recipe. I am allergic to eggs so cake is a real treat for me! I did a few tweaks but it turned out awesome. This is the first cake I’ve baked homemade that did not sink or fall apart. It was moist and delicious! My friends loved it also!

    • Madhuram

      You’re very welcome Breanna. Thank you for the feedback.

  3. Colorful Quinoa Salad Recipe | Eggless Cooking

    […] have not been able to keep track on healthful eating since August. It all started with my eldest son’s birthday and from then on I have been slipping for some reason or the other. I didn’t make soups and […]

  4. Vilma

    I am trying the carrot cake. I made it with baking powder, but I was wondering if you are using double acting baking powder or just simple baking powder. I would like the cake to raise a little bit better. Any suggestions? It is for my grandson’s birthday.

    • Madhuram

      Hi Vilma, I have never used double acting baking powder, so unable to comment if the cake would rise more using the same.

      • Vilma

        I found out that the double acting and the just regular have the same effect. Thanks for your reply. The cake was a hit. I use the half shortening half butter frosting with cream cheese and it turned out great. I am so thankful about this site. and the piece of mind that my children get to be able to give a cake that my grandson could enjoy without a concern about him getting an allergy.

        • Madhuram

          Thank you very much Vilma.

  5. Sonia

    I just made this cake yesterday and followed the ingredients as per mentioned. I was genuinely surprised as to how soft it turned out!! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂 I substituted the almond milk with regular whole milk and oil with melted butter. The only tiny issue was that the cake smelled like baking powder so I shall be adding in 3/4 of a spoon of it the next time I bake this again. Thank you once again! 🙂

    • Madhuram

      You’re welcome Sonia. I didn’t have any issues with the baking powder at all. I can’t guess what went wrong.

  6. yasha

    can cream cheese (not its frosting) can particularly cream cheese be substituted by any thing if not then how can we make it at home ?

    • Madhuram

      You can just make butter frosting. I have not thought about making cream cheese at home. So I guess you have got to Google it.

  7. steven yang

    Hi Madhu,

    Can i subtitute coconut oil with butter? Almond milk with fat free dairy milk?

    Thanks

    • Madhuram

      Yes Steven.

  8. Pooja

    HI ,
    thanks for the nice recipe, but mine did not turn out quiet well. I prepared it one evening before, kept it in the refrigerator & cut the cut the next evening (as we all go for work, school etc.) the cake when eaten was as if it was not baked properly (I did the toothpick test & it came out clean) as if we were eating the batter 🙁
    I tried the self rising flour instead of the all purpose one & all the steps as you suggested, could that be the reason?
    My carrots were v juicy, you thnk I should have removed some juice from the carrot (with cloth) & then use the carrots?
    do you think I should decrease the qty of baking powder/ soda if I use the self raising flour?

    I am absolute beginner in baking & need your guidance 🙂
    I intend to bake the cake again with all purpose flour & extracting the juice from the carrots and then baking again
    Thanks

    • Madhuram

      Hi Pooja, how juicy can carrots get? I don’t think that’s the problem. I have baked so many times using carrots; you just have to grate it and mix it with the batter. When using self rising flour you need to adjust the baking powder in the recipe and even for me it would have been a guess and I wouldn’t know unless I try it myself. I wish beginners can ask me before trying the recipe if a substitution would work.

  9. steven yang

    Hello Madhu,

    Can i subtitute oil with butter? almond milk with fat free milk?

    Thank you

    • Madhuram

      Yes you can. Just melt the butter and use it instead of oil.

  10. Anonymous baker

    Hi,

    Another great recipe. Carrot cake turned out well. However, the frosting didn’t quite work for me. It was too runny. Almost like a watery yogurt. Any idea where I went wrong? X

    • Madhuram

      Thanks Anonymous baker. I can’t think of any reason (if you had followed the measurements properly) other than the temperature. Was it a hot day? You could have tried putting the frosting in the fridge for a couple of hours before frosting or added some more icing sugar.

  11. Roshni

    Hi madhu, am planning to make this for my husband’s birthday.., can I use one 9 inch pan instead of 2 pans…

    • Madhuram

      No, it won’t work Roshni. You need 2 pans or one 9×13 inch pan, but in that case slicing the cake horizontally to make it a layered cake could be tricky. If you have just one pan, bake one half of the batter put the rest of it in the fridge and once the first cake is out and you are able to remove the cake from the pan, bake the rest of the batter the 2nd time. Or else get the aluminum foil pans from Dollar store or any grocery store and you will be done quickly.

  12. lakshmi

    Hi! I am loving to do this cake for a birthday party at home..I have a question. .Wat other frosting wil be suitable for this cake? . .does coconut frosting goes well with carrot cake?

    • Madhuram

      That should be good too, Lakshmi.

  13. Olivia

    Hi! I used this recipe to make carrot cupcakes and it was a huge hit! The cake was so moist and flavorful! I got so many compliments and I was I so happy my youngest son could eat it too! He’s allergic to eggs. In fact, he ate 3. Is there any way to figure out the calories per serving for this?

    • Madhuram

      Thanks for the feedback Olivia. I’m so happy for your kid. You can use Spark People’s nutrition calculator. It’s free to use.

  14. Me

    Hello, how much milk and coconut oil did you use?

    • Madhuram

      I have mentioned it in Part 2 of the recipe. I think you have asked the question after seeing the substitution list.

  15. skeedog

    Nomnomnomnom!!! Best carrot cake I have ever had! I used another vegan frosting though. I didn’t have shortening…

    • Madhuram

      Thanks Skeedog.

  16. jinal s

    how about a cheese cake…take a shot at it..might be good!!

  17. HS

    Prepared this cake yesterday…it came out very well…n the taste is awesome. Also the cake is very soft. Had called upon few friends n they too loved it. I used whole milk instead of almond milk & vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.

    Also, very interesting website. My hubby is very fond of cakes n cookies. I am a vegetarian & so i prefer preparing them at home.
    I think I have found a very good collection of recipes.

    Thank You.

    • Madhuram

      You’re welcome HS. I’m glad that you like my website.

      • HS

        Forgot to mention, I used whole wheat flour to instead of all purpose flour.

        Thanks

  18. Goldie

    My almost 3 year old son has allergy to dairy, egg, nut, sea food….. . I’m very excited to find this website, and try your recipes as soon as possible

    • Madhuram

      I’m sure that you are going to love the recipes. Feel free to get back to me if you have any trouble with the recipes.

  19. amani

    Hiya there! I was looking for an eggless carrot cake which I found on this site but the only problem I have is…I dont use cups so how would I work it out by using weighting scale. It would grateful if you could let me know about this. I will be doing this cake in 2days. Can you kindly email me which would be better for me to get it from there. It looks good and I will try it and see what happens. I am making this for a friend who dont eat eggs. The other thing I want to know can I use any dairy product as frosting. I want to do the cake of 15 to 20 people what will you recommend the ingredients would be. Thank You.

    • Madhuram

      Hi Amani, check this link for cups to grams conversion and use it accordingly in the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cup-to-gram-conversions/ They have separate conversions for all purpose flour, white sugar, butter etc. You can use dairy products for the frosting. This cake will yield about 15 servings. The serving size depends upon how thin or thick you slice it.

  20. Amy

    Can we use 2% milk instead of Almond Milk?

    • Madhuram

      Sure, Amy

  21. SK

    Hey Madhuram

    My b-lated B-Day wishes to your son! I just got bumped into your site when i was looking for eggless muffins. My goodness, u got a gr8 website running out here that is way too useful. Congrats buddy. When i was reading bulkbarn and so on, i was wondering where u r living and to my surprise as i doubted, u r from Canada…Wow! I am from Canada as well, Montreal, Qc. I guess u r from Ontario where there is bulk barn every corner…?? haha…

    Keep up the great work. Hats off to you!

    Best regards,
    SK

    • Madhuram

      Thanks SK. I’m glad that you find my blog useful.

  22. SS

    Madhuram,
    thanks for the recipe.
    Could you please let me know how you veganized the vanilla cupcake. I see in the original recipe, you have used condensed milk. So, I am really interested in knowing how you substituted it..I am still in search of the best easy vegan vanilla cake..May be yours is the solution. 🙂

  23. Rupa

    Thanks Madhuram
    Shall try the “covering the cake with foil” next time
    But wont that result in the heat condensing on the cake and mking it mushy ?
    Never done this before
    tnx

    • Madhuram

      You wouldn’t be wrapping it tightly instead just a lose covering.

  24. Rupa

    Hey Madhu !

    I made this cake yesterday as per the instructions given by you here.
    These are my comments / observations about the outcome of my cake:

    1) I baked everything in one big round baking pan instead of two since I ddint want to frost….I was looking for a snack cake.
    It took around 60 mins for it to bake good (I kept checking from 45 mins itself)
    The cake rose good….but only problem was the the sides / circumference of the cake got very hard like a pizza crust. I had line the bottom of the pan with butter paper and sprayed the entire pan.
    The interiors were soft though…..any idea how i can improvise on that ?

    2) The taste was just OK the first day.
    As you said….this cake tastes better the second day.
    The sugar was just ok….so if you are making this as a coffee / snack cake maybe just increase the sugar by another 1/4 cup atleast.

    3) I also added golden raisins and a teaspoon of cardamom powder both of which gave a good flavor to the cake.

    Overall : My cake was just around 3 out of 5 points I shud say.

    Thanks for sharing your recipes
    Had a nice time baking it.
    Love you

    – Rupa

    • Madhuram

      Thanks for the detailed feedback, Rupa. I also felt the same about the sweetness of the cake. It definitely needs some more sugar if you are not frosting it. To prevent hardening of the crust, you should either use a 9×13 inch pan because this is a lot of batter for just 1 round cake. Or you should use aluminum foil to cover the cake after about 40 minutes until it’s done or you could even try reducing the temperature by another 25 degrees after about 40 minutes.

  25. Manjari

    Hi!

    The recipe above sounds mouthwateringly delicious! However, could you suggest where could I look for non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening and non-hydrogenated cream cheese, in India (Calcutta)?

    Regards,
    Manjari Jain.

    • Madhuram

      I have no clue about what is and is not available in India, Manjari. You have to check it out in big departmental stores.