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VEGAN CARROT
CAKE
Published: Apr 5, 2016 Updated: Sep 11, 2021 by Alison
Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

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This vegan carrot cake is the best ever! It’s

moist and rich and topped with a tangy
lemon buttercream frosting and crushed
walnuts.

Carrot cake is pretty awesome! It gives you

the feeling that you’re eating something
pretty darn healthy. I mean you’re getting
your veggies in!

And when it’s vegan carrot cake, well…..

then you can feel pretty saintly about it!

Okay okay, I’ve said I’m never going to

mention guilt and food in the same
sentence on this blog, and I’m going to
stick to it, but you know, there’s indulgence
and then there’s feeling saintly about
indulgence, which is not like indulgence at
all really.

So go on, have your vegan carrot cake and

eat it too, while feeling saintly about your
good choices

And you know one of these days I’ll even

make a gluten-free version (update: it’s
here!) and THEN, well then, you know, you
can just about ascend to heaven on a
cloud while you eat it.

···

···

Jokes aside, this carrot cake is super good,

it has a wholesome hearty vibe, while
being moist, rich, and delicious.

Topped with a tangy lemon buttercream

frosting and crushed walnuts, this cake is
ideal for any special occasion. Or just for
Sunday afternoon tea.

···

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN

CARROT CAKE
You will find full instructions and
measurements in the recipe card at the
bottom of the post. This is a summary of
the process to go along with the process
photos.

Sift all purpose flour into a mixing

bowl and add baking powder, baking
soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix
together.

···

Add light brown sugar and grated

carrot to the mixing bowl.

Prepare your flax eggs by adding 2

tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal
to a bowl with 6 tablespoons of hot
water. Let it sit for a minute to become
gloopy.

Add the flax eggs, oil, vanilla extract,

apple cider vinegar and chopped
walnuts to the mixing bowl.

Mix everything together. If it seems

like it won’t come together and the mix
is too dry then step away from the
bowl for a couple of minutes and then
come back to it. The carrot will have
released more moisture into the batter
allowing it to come together into a
thick batter.

···

Divide the batter evenly between two

cake pans (sprayed with non-stick
spray and lined with parchment paper
along the bottoms).

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a

toothpick inserted into the center of
one of the cakes comes out clean.

···

Let the cakes cool in the pans for a

few minutes before transferring them
to a wire cooling rack to cool
completely before frosting.

When the cakes are cool, frost and

decorate with crushed walnuts.

···

THE FROSTING
Two things: firstly, I frosted it with a lemon
frosting and added apple cider vinegar.
This was to try and get a slightly more
‘cheesy’ flavor to it.

···

Well, it didn’t really work, it was really

good, but I would not say it was in any
way ‘cheesy’. It was still really good
though, with a perfect amount of tang, so I
went with it!

Secondly, I have since made a fabulous

vegan cream cheese frosting using a
homemade vegan cream cheese. It is
seriously delicious, so if you want to give
that a try instead, then go for it. The lemon
buttercream frosting recipe from our vegan
lemon cake is also a winner if you want to
use that instead.

···

CHEF’S TIPS
Measure your flour correctly. If you have
a food scale then measure the flour out on
a food scale for total accuracy. If you don’t
have a food scale then use the ‘spoon and
level’ method to measure your flour. Spoon
the flour into your measuring cup and then
level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop the
flour and don’t pack it into your cup.

···

Carrots must be freshly grated. If you buy

pre-grated carrots then they will have
dried out a lot by the time you use them.
You need freshly grated carrots so that
they are packed with moisture.

The walnuts. Walnuts are entirely optional

but they are really delicious both in the
cake itself and sprinkled on top for
decoration. Another great option is
chopped pecan nuts.

Be patient mixing the batter. When

you’re mixing this batter you may start to
wonder if I’ve missed out some important
ingredients in the form of liquids! You may
start thinking it will never come together!
Don’t worry, so long as you used freshly
grated carrots, it will definitely come
together. Just step away from the bowl for
a couple of minutes, the carrots will
release more moisture into the batter.
When you come back and mix again, it will
form into a thick batter.

···

ADAPTING FOR
D I F F E R E N T C A K E PA N S
7-inch. This cake makes two thick 7-
inch cake layers.

8-inch. It also works perfectly for 8-

inch cake pans. The layers are slightly
thinner, but still perfect, and 8-inch
cake pans work great with the recipe
exactly as is, no other changes at all.

6-inch. If you want to make this cake

in 6-inch cake pans then I would
suggest making it as a 3 layer cake.
Baking time will be around 25
minutes.

9×9 sheet cake. You can also make it

as a 9×9 square sheet cake. Baking
time is 35 minutes.

9×13 sheet cake. It also works as a

9×13 sheet cake though it is a fairly
thin cake so 9×9 is preferred. Baking
time for 9×13 is 25 minutes.

···
VEGAN CARROT CAKE
Q&A

Can you make this cake gluten-

free?
You can make this cake gluten-free by
simply switching the regular flour for a
gluten-free all purpose flour blend. You can
also check out our recipe for vegan gluten
free carrot cake. It’s totally divine.

Can you make cupcakes?

Sure! This recipe adapts to 12-18
cupcakes depending on how full you make
the cupcake liners. You can also check out
our vegan carrot cake cupcakes.

···

STORING AND
FREEZING
Keep the cake covered at room
temperature where it will stay good for 3-
4 days, or keep it covered in the fridge
where it will stay good for up to a week.

···

It is also freezer friendly for up to 3

months.

···

MORE VEGAN CAKES

1. Vegan Vanilla Cake

2. Vegan Chocolate Cake

3. Vegan Red Velvet Cake

4. Vegan Banana Cake

5. Vegan Lemon Cake

6. Vegan Strawberry Cake

···

Vegan Carrot Cake - Loving It Vegan

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to

leave a comment and rating below!

Vegan Carrot Cake

This vegan carrot cake is the best
ever! It's moist and rich and topped
with a tangy lemon buttercream
frosting and crushed walnuts.

4.90 from 463 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 10
Calories: 673kcal
Author: Alison Andrews

···
···

Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar
(300g)
2 ⅓ cups Grated Carrot (255g)
2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbsp Ground
Flaxseed Meal with 6 Tbsp
Water)
½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or
Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Walnuts (100g) Chopped,
Optional

For the Lemon Buttercream

Frosting:
4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2-3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Decoration:
Walnuts Chopped

Prevent your screen

Cook Mode from going dark

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Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
(180°C). Spray two 7-inch cake
pans or two 8-inch cake pans
(see notes*) with non-stick spray
and line the bottoms with circles
of parchment paper.
2. Sift the all purpose flour into a
mixing bowl and add the baking
powder, baking soda, salt,
cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix
together.
3. Add the light brown sugar and
grated carrot to the mixing bowl.
4. Prepare your flax eggs by adding
2 tablespoons of ground
flaxseed meal to a bowl with 6
tablespoons of hot water. Let it
sit for a minute to become
gloopy.
5. Add the flax eggs, oil, vanilla
extract, apple cider vinegar and
chopped walnuts to the mixing
bowl.
6. Mix everything together. If it
seems like it won't come
together and the mix is too dry
then step away from the bowl for
a couple of minutes and then
come back to it. The carrots will
have released more moisture into
the batter allowing it to come
together into a thick batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between
the two prepared cake pans.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted into the
center of one of the cakes comes
out clean.
9. Allow the cakes to cool in the
pans for a few minutes before
transferring them to a wire
cooling rack to cool completely.
10. While the cakes are cooling,
prepare your frosting.
11. Add the powdered sugar, vegan
butter, vanilla extract, apple
cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons
of lemon juice to the bowl of your
stand mixer.
12. Start mixing on low speed
gradually increasing speed until
your frosting is thick and
smooth.
13. If your frosting is too thick then
add in the extra tablespoon of
lemon juice, a drop at a time and
only as much as needed to get to
a spreadable consistency.
14. Frost the cake and decorate the
top with chopped walnuts.

···

Video
Vegan Carrot Cake - Loving It Vegan

Notes
1. Measure your flour correctly. If
you have a food scale then
measure the flour out on a food
scale for total accuracy. If you
don’t have a food scale then use
the ‘spoon and level’ method to
measure your flour. Spoon the
flour into your measuring cup
and then level it off with a knife.
Don’t scoop the flour and don’t
pack it into your cup.
2. Carrots must be freshly
grated. If you buy pre-grated
carrots then they will have dried
out a lot by the time you use
them. You need freshly grated
carrots so that they are packed
with moisture.
3. The walnuts. Walnuts are
entirely optional but they are
really delicious both in the cake
itself and sprinkled on top for
decoration. Another great option
is chopped pecan nuts.
4. Be patient mixing the batter.
When you’re mixing this batter
you may start to wonder if I’ve
missed out some important
ingredients in the form of liquids!
You may start thinking it will
never come together! Don’t
worry, so long as you used
freshly grated carrots, it will
definitely come together. Just
step away from the bowl for a
couple of minutes, the carrots
will release more moisture into
the batter. When you come back
and mix again, it will form into a
thick batter.
5. Adapting for different size cake
pans:
7-inch. This cake makes two
thick 7-inch cake layers.
8-inch. It also works
perfectly for 8-inch cake
pans. The layers are slightly
thinner, but still perfect, and
8-inch cake pans work great
with the recipe exactly as is,
no other changes at all.
6-inch. If you want to make
this cake in 6-inch cake pans
then I would suggest making
it as a 3 layer cake. Baking
time will be around 25
minutes.
9×9 sheet cake. You can
also make it as a 9×9 square
sheet cake. Baking time is 35
minutes.
9×13 sheet cake. It also
works as a 9×13 sheet cake
though it is a fairly thin cake
so 9×9 is preferred. Baking
time for 9×13 is 25 minutes.

6. Gluten-free: You can make this

cake gluten-free by simply
switching the regular flour for a
gluten-free all purpose flour
blend.
7. Cupcakes: This recipe adapts to
12-18 cupcakes depending on
how full you make the cupcake
liners.
8. Storing: Keep the cake covered
at room temperature where it will
stay good for 3-4 days, or keep it
covered in the fridge where it will
stay good for up to a week.
9. Freezing: It is also freezer
friendly for up to 3 months.
10. This recipe has been updated
with new photos but the recipe
itself is unchanged.

Nutrition
Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 673kcal |
Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 5g |
Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g |
Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g |
Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans
Fat: 1g | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium:
246mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 81g |
Vitamin A: 5425IU | Vitamin C: 3mg |
Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg

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RECIPE?
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comments section below, or tag
@lovingitvegan on Instagram and
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm
the voice and cook behind
Loving It Vegan. I love
making delicious vegan food and creating
vegan versions of all your old favorites, so
that you’ll never feel like you’re missing
out. Find out more about me here.

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COMMENTS

Jamie Orten says

August 07, 2023 at 1:10 am

YUM! MY FAVORITE RECIPE!

R E P LY

Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

August 07, 2023 at 8:59 am

Happy to hear Jamie! Thanks for your

review!

R E P LY

Kristy says
July 11, 2023 at 5:03 pm

Hi everyone. I’m dying to make this but I

want to do cupcakes. How long do they
bake please? PS – your site makes me so
happy and has given me a lot of
confidence in the kitchen. Thank you!

R E P LY

Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

July 12, 2023 at 8:24 am

Hi Kristy! We are so happy that you hear

enjoy the site! Also, we do have a recipe
for vegan carrot cake cupcakes that has all
the info you need!

R E P LY

Patti says
June 21, 2023 at 3:35 pm

These came out amazing and the frosting

was so tasty. I did cupcakes and my none
Vegan son and workers gave me kudos.
Easy clean and delicious ! Thank you

R E P LY

Nadine Van Zyl says

June 28, 2023 at 2:40 pm

You’re welcome Patti! And thank you for

your great review!

R E P LY

sue Daniels says

May 15, 2023 at 6:34 am

This was very good just a little bit on the

dry side. I did add a little orange juice to
the batter as it was so thick so I would add
more liquid next time so it would be a
dropping consistency. The flavour was
great and I used Tofutti cream cheese
made into an icing which was very good.

R E P LY

Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

July 12, 2023 at 10:29 am

If you used fresh carrots, you can also try

leaving the carrots to release more
moisture before mixing again.

R E P LY

Louise hawkes says

April 22, 2023 at 6:59 pm

Have made the cake three times now and

we love it, even my friend who doesn’t
normally like carrot cake did.! A top recipe,
thankyou.

R E P LY

Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

July 12, 2023 at 10:30 am

Thanks so much Louise! Glad you enjoy the

recipe!

R E P LY

Tischan says
April 20, 2023 at 10:28 pm

This cake was delicious! I made a couple of

changes for taste preference: 1 Tbsp
baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1
Tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp
nutmeg, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup oil,
1/4 cup applesauce, no walnuts, 1/2 cup
raisins. The cake was still very sweet and
almost too sweet for me with icing so I
could probably scale back to 2/3 cup
brown sugar. I also let the wet mixture sit
for about 10 minutes to extract the juice
from the carrots. Very moist and just the
right amount of chew!

R E P LY

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