Vegan Carrot Cake

5 from 17 votes

There are not many vegetables as versatile as carrots, and this vegan carrot with vegan frosting proves that. I make this moist, naturally sweet dessert with grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and maple syrup. This is by no means a sad vegan knock-off; this cake is right up there with the original recipes.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 255.4kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

For The Cake

2 cups firmly packed finely grated carrots
5 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice about the juice in one orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup maple syrup
½ cup crushed or chopped pineapple drained
1 cup all purpose flour
1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¾ cup chopped walnuts chopped

For The Icing

4 oz vegan cream cheese (I like Miyokos Organic)
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp orange zest optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup, and pineapple until well blended.
In another bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and spices. Mix in the walnuts.
Blend the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture, stirring until just mixed.
Pour the batter into a nonstick 8-inch-square baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and remove from pan.
To make the icing, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest together. Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the cake. Alternatively, you can just dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve.

Video

https://youtu.be/GRUOGZIy8VI

Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (https://youtu.be/GRUOGZIy8VI)

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan carrot cake with vegan frosting recipe is to drain the crushed pineapple thoroughly before mixing it into the batter. I use tinned crushed pineapple as it does not become bitter as it cooks. This pineapple is stored in a lot of liquid, which I removed completely, and even pressed it out of the pieces. Too much liquid can weigh the cake down and affect how it bakes in the center.
Grate size: I grate my carrots as fine as possible, ensuring they blend in smoothly. The last thing I want is chunks of carrot in my crumb.
Do not overmix: I stir the batter until just combined, and stop once there is no longer any visible flour. Overmixing leads to overdeveloped gluten strands, which leads to a tough, dense cake.
Line pan: I always line my pan with parchment paper, which makes removing the cake quick and easy.
Do not frost warm cake: Spreading frosting over a cake that is not completely cool will still cause the vegan frosting to melt and slide slightly. The aim is to keep the frosting thick and spreadable.
Frost entire cake: You could just frost the top of the cake, but by covering the entire cake with vegan frosting, I keep the moisture locked in and prevent the edges from drying out.

Nutrition