My wife had her birthday some time ago and when I was thinking of what type of cake to make it hit me that I had never had a carrot cake as a birthday cake. You almost always see or buy the carrot cake in a single layer fashion with frosting on the top, so I thought that I might try to make carrot cake with the same assembly technique I used when making the equally delicious vegan chocolate cake. Now needless to say, but still, this is, of course, a vegan carrot cake and the recipe is 100% plant-based.
In order to make this carrot cake you need
1 large bowl
1 medium bowl
A whisk
A ladle
A Spatula
2 18 cm springforms (1 form is also fine, but then you have to use it twice)
I had to check to see if nutmeg is problematic for people who are allergic to nuts, the name kind of indicates it. Much to my surprise though nutmeg is not considered to be a nut, but rather a seed so it doesn’t have to be avoided by people with nut allergy. However, it can still cause allergic reactions if you are sensitive so ask your visitors before you serve the cake.
A quick glance at the ingredients doesn’t tell that this vegan carrot cake is going to be
Rich
Dense
Moist
It is first when you combine them all that the smell of the spices hits you and then you just know that this is going to be great!
Another great thing about this vegan carrot cake is just the fact that it is 100% plant-based. Without dairy, there is nothing in it that can go sour within the next couple of days so it holds up for quite some time, and in my opinion, only gets better if it gets to stay a day or two in the refrigerator.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake
Start out by gathering all the ingredients necessary for making the cake. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.
Next up you whisk together the applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, sugar and oil in the medium-sized bowl.
Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a ladle until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the grated carrot and mix evenly.
Grease up the two springforms and divide the batter evenly between the two. Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes on 175° C / 350° F / Gas Mark 6, or until you can stick a toothpick in the centre and it comes out clean. I tend to like to bake it as short as possible, rather than having it “dried up”.
Let the springforms cool off a little then remove the cakes and let them cool completely while you prepare the frosting.
The frosting is a quite straightforward process. Put all the ingredients in a highspeed blender and mix until the consistency is smooth and the icing sugar is completely dissolved in the cream cheese.
Bring out your cake tray and put one of the cakes in the middle. Use the spatula to cover it in frosting and then put the other cake on top of that one and cover that one with the rest of the frosting. I used a cake form in the shape of a heart in the middle (yeah I know, extremely cheesy) but feel free to cover the entire thing in as much frosting as you like. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and let it sit in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
I can promise you that your guests (and yourself) are going to ask for another bite.
If you like this recipe, make sure you check out all the other ones I have as well. You find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest where you can tell me if you tried this recipe, or write to me in the comment section below, I would love to hear from you!
Take care, and be safe!
A deliciously moist and dense carrot cake with sweet frosting that is easy to make and always a treat.
- 5 1/2 dl (2 1/4 cup) flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 dl (1 cup) soy milk unsweetened
- 1 1/4 dl (1/4 cup) applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 dl (1 cup) light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 dl (1/4 cup) canola oil
- 5 dl (2 cups) grated carrots
- 225 g cream cheese non-dairy
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 dl (1 cup) icing sugar
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Pre-heat the oven to 175° C / 350° F / Gas Mark 5/6
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Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
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Mix all the wet ingredients except the carrots in a medium bowl.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
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Fold in the carrots.
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Grease two 18cm springforms and divide the batter evenly between the two.
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Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out clean. The less you have to bake it, the better.
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Put all the ingredients for the frosting in a high-speed blender and mix until completely smooth.
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Start to assemble only when the cakes have cooled off completely. Put one of the cakes in the middle of a cake tray and cover it with frosting. Put the other cake on top and use the rest of the frosting to cover the entire cake. Let the cake rest in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
Enjoy!