MOIST 1 Bowl Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is honestly the best carrot cake you’ll ever have, vegan or not- it’s an absolute crowd-pleaser and ridiculously easy to make. No eggs, no dairy, and just one bowl and a whisk, it’s honestly the most moist, tender carrot cake and it’s topped with a super lush and a creamy dairy free cream cheese frosting. Soon to be your favorite cake recipe ever!
Reasons to love this vegan carrot cake
I’ve been working on this recipe since 2018 (BEFORE I even started The Banana Diaries!), and I’ve finally cracked the code for the most lovely, moist, tender and soft carrot cake that’s made entirely without eggs and dairy.
Like my ultra rich vegan vanilla cake and chocolate cake recipes, this secretly vegan cake‘s flavor is just perfectly sweet while being so tender, soft, and moist with the perfect crumb.
Using a dairy free vegan cream cheese frosting, you’ll be able to create a carrot cake fit for a bakery (or even better!).
This recipe is so good, I even based my carrot cake loaf and carrot cake cheesecake off of it.
And like my vegan lemon blueberry cake, this carrot cake can be made in just one bowl.
If you need more proof, then the carrot cake king himself (my dad lol) claims this is his favorite carrot cake. Carrot cake is his absolute favorite cake of all time, so I wanted to make sure that this eggless and dairy free carrot cake would pass his high standards 😉
Now, my dad is not one to like many gluten-free and/or vegan creations, but this carrot cake changed his mind!
So let’s get into the ingredients for this vegan carrot cake! Because there are a few ingredients that, yes, they’re common in the kitchen, but I’m betting you probably have never tried them in a carrot cake 😉
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Ingredients Needed:
For this eggless carrot cake, you’ll need a few key ingredients:
- Grated Carrots: if you want an arm workout, you can grate about 6-7 large carrots. You’ll rinse and remove the skins of the carrots. Then use a box grater- it’s much easier!
- Flour: You can use all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 flour (I recommend King Arthur’s mix).
- Dairy free yogurt: My absolute favorite vegan egg substitute. I love using Forager Project cashew milk yogurt, but you can use your favorite! Another great option is applesauce, but I really love the texture of yogurt.
- Vegan Buttermilk: This is NOT a store bought ingredient, but rather a homemade one. Just dairy free milk and an acid! Soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk work wonderfully here! We’ll mix it with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to create the vegan buttermilk.
- Brown sugar: You can also sub in coconut sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Be sure that your granulated sugar is vegan. I always use Florida Crystals for that reason.
- Neutral oil: I recently switched to making my carrot cake with cooking oil rather than vegan butter, and the texture is SO much more moist! It’s unbelievable!
- Leavening agents: this is your baking powder and soda.
- Spices: well, you can’t have a carrot cake without the spices! I use a blend of cinnamon, Allspice, and nutmeg! Hits the spot!
Now onto the vegan cream cheese frosting, because you cannot do a vegan carrot cake with any other frosting, in my humble opinion. And it’s not even complicated! Check out the ingredients below!
We’ve really come a long way with vegan “dairy” options. I personally find that vegan cream cheeses tastes just as good, if not better, than regular cream cheese.
For the frosting you’ll need:
- Vegan cream cheese: I personally love to use Tofutti or Kite Hill for cream cheese frostings.
- Vegan butter: for a vegan butter that tastes good and is simple, I highly recommend Miyoko’s. It’s the base that I use in all of my vegan buttercream recipes too!
- Dairy free milk
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar! Again, I recommend Florida Crystals, as they’re 100% certified vegan.
Overview: Step by Step Photos for How to Make a One Bowl Vegan Carrot Cake
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
Britt’s notes:
So I’ve made this cake as both a layer cake and a snack cake/sheet cake- either works! I will say that the snack cake version needs TIME to cool down- like give at least 3 hours because carrots hold so much heat from baking, it doesn’t cool in the same time that a regular cake would.
Keep this in mind if you’re making this for the holidays and need to plan around other dishes to make.
Let me know in the comments below if you gave it a try, as well as leaving a rating down below ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others may find it!
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there.
Happy carrot cake baking!
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
MOIST Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is honestly the best carrot cake you’ll ever have, vegan or not- it’s an absolute crowd-pleaser and ridiculously easy to make. No eggs, no dairy, and just one bowl and a whisk, it’s honestly the most moist, tender carrot cake and it’s topped with a super lush and a creamy dairy free cream cheese frosting. Soon to be your favorite cake recipe ever!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (360 g) grated carrots, about 6-8 large carrots
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 1/2 (440 g) cups all purpose flour or cake flour*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (300 g) light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (339 g) neutral cooking oil
- 2/3 cup (150 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F, and line three 8″ cake pans with cooking oil and parchment paper or a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure the carrots are grated, and mix together the dairy free milk with the apple cider vinegar to create the vegan buttermilk.
- Prep the dry ingredients: You can just add the dry ingredients all at once, but if you’d like to, you can pre-mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Simply whisk together the flour, spices, and leavening agents. Set aside.
- Make the carrot cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the neutral oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Then add in the dairy free yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix just until combined. Then add in the flour, leavening agents, and spices in about 3 increments, alternating between pouring in the vegan buttermilk as well. Be careful not to over mix. I try to mix just until there are no dry streaks left. Fold in the carrots.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 28-30 minutes for 8″ cake pans, or until the toothpick comes out clean. For a 9×9 square cake, it will bake for 72 minutes. You can cover the top of the cake if it’s browning too quickly in your oven.
- Cool: Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to cooling rack to fully cool. Do not frost until the cakes are cool to touch, and there is absolutely no heat coming from them.
- Make the vegan cream cheese frosting: To prepare the frosting, cream together the vegan butter and cream cheese with a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl. Sift in the powdered sugar in increments of 1 cup, beating the mixture between each cup until combined. Add in 1-2 tbsp dairy free milk if needed to achieve a smooth texture.
- Assembly: Frost the cake, applying about 1/3 cup frosting in between each layer, and coating the sides of the cake. If you’d like to pipe the carrots onto the sides, reserve about 1/2 cup total frosting and divide in two bowls. Color one with vegan orange coloring and the other with vegan green. I used a Wilton Piping Tip 66 and Wilton Piping Tip 1.
- Slice and serve! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Gluten free: I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
Walnuts/Raisins: If you’d like to add in walnuts, raisins, or pecans, you may add in 1/3-1/2 cup of each (if you’re using just walnuts, add in 1/2 cup, if you’re adding in all three, use 1/3).
The Original Paleo Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe:
This recipe has been retested and adjusted from its original to suit more households. However, there are some original readers that love the original Paleo Vegan carrot cake version, so I left it here in case you prefer this one!
Vegan Carrot Cake
- 1 cup shredded carrots (can buy pre-shredded)
- 1 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 1/2 cup cassava flour flour
- 3 tbsp ground flax/chia seed (mixed with 1/3 cup water)
- 1 cup coconut milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil or vegan butter (unsalted) (melted)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato (pre-cooked)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup vegan butter (room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 batch vegan caramel sauce (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375F and grease three 6″ cake pans with olive or coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, cassava flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and sea salt.
- Pour in coconut milk, olive oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and ground flax seed mixture, and mix until well combined.
- Add in shredded carrots and mashed sweet potato. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour evenly into both cake pans and place cake pans in the oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool fully before frosting.
- *Follow instructions below for the frosting so that you make it while the cakes are cooling.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl and using a hand mixer, beat together vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, and coconut milk.
- Add in powdered sugar and beat until it becomes thick.
- Set aside and cover until ready to frost (you can place it for a few minutes in the fridge, but not too long because you don’t want it to harden).
- Frost cake, top with vegan caramel sauce if desired, and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 35.1 g
- Sodium: 284.8 mg
- Fat: 10.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.3 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
which one should I use for the carrots? 256 grams or 180 grams grated carrots
180 g! 🙂
I first tested this recipe using all coconut sugar and the cake turned out a bit gummy.
I tried again using all coco sugar- but added 3 tbsp arrowroot starch and it turned out so much better. The cake isn’t overly sweet and the blend of spices is great.
If you like it extra spicy: I used freshly grated nutmeg, upped the ginger to 1.5 tsps and added a smidge of cloves & black pepper. It was a crowd pleaser!!
Hi Britt, this recipe looks absolutely delicious! I will attempt to make it this week! How do I create those pretty carrot decorations on the sides of the cake? It look so festive! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Laure! Aw wonderful!! Can’t wait for you to try this one 🙂 I reserved about 1 cup of the cream cheese frosting and tinted 2/3 cup orange with the Whole Foods natural food coloring (red and yellow) and 1/3 cup of the frosting with the blue and yellow to make the green! I just used an open small round tip for the carrots, and the wilton leaf tip for the leaves 🙂 Enjoy!
Do you need to use parchment paper or not? It says so in the instructions but I don’t see it in the pictures.
Hi Jessica! Yes, I do! You place the parchment paper rounds onto the cake pan bottoms to help prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. I hope that helps!
Question: why is there no salt in this recipe?
Oh cuz we use salted vegan butter. Got it lol
Yes, exactly! You got it 🙂 But if you want to use unsalted v butter, you can just add 1/8 tsp sea salt to the dry ingredients!
Yes lol thank you. They’re DELICIOUS 😍
COCONUT FLOUR;
Would you please clarify on substituting some Coconut Flour?
On one comment you say, coconut flour will not work and in another you say to sub 3/4 cup coconut flour. Is the 3/4 cup used as a sub for the cassava flour in your original recipe?
I love coconut in carrot cakes, but not always the strings of coconut so I think the coconut flour might solved that!
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Thank you
Hi Beverly! So the recipe has been modified and will NOT work with coconut flour whatsoever! You an sub in coconut milk for the dairy free milk if you’d like to get that coconut flavor though!
I tested this recipe for my daughter’s wedding cake, one layer needs to be GF and vegan. It took much longer to cook than indicated, in the end it must have been in the oven more like 80 minutes. The end result was delicious, we loved the frosting too. I’m going to make it again to re-test the quantities (maybe the mix was too wet?) and add pecans and raisins, but at the moment it is a top contender for the big day!
Hi Dawn! I’m so honored that you’re potentially going to be using this recipe for your daughter’s wedding cake!! How wonderful! So the baking time issue- it must have been the type of gluten free flour used. I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure if you can get your hands on it! I know in other countries, Dove’s Farm is really popular, I’m not sure if that blend has xanthan gum in it, but it’s important that the blend does contain some xanthan gum! I hope that helps! And congratulations to you all! 🙂
I’ve made this twice once with gluten free flour. It’s amazing and I will keep making it! Lots of compliments and one person commented that it’s the best cake they’ve ever tasted!
This recipe was out of this world!!! I’m not much of a carrot cake fan but I’m convinced it’s because I hadn’t had THIS carrot cake. Can’t wait to try another recipe!
# Carrot cake vegan. so moist n easy to make. Turned out great, even with substituted applesauce!!! Very little effort
This is so awesome 🙂 Enjoy!! Thanks so much for the review!
Absolutely amazing!
what can i use in place of dairy free yogurt? can i use applesauce or bananas like a swap for oil?
Hi Megan! Yes, you can swap in applesauce for the dairy free yogurt just fine 🙂 Enjoy!
I had some trepidation about this recipe because it looks pretty dense, but the crumb turned out nicely. The cake received high praise all around! I did find the frosting to be pretty runny after it cooled to room temperature. But delicious nonetheless!
I used almond milk for the buttermilk and Violife cream cheese.
So delicious! The best carrot cake I’ve had! Very easy recipe and the cake turned out so well spiced and moist.
This is wonderful!! So happy to hear it 🙂 Enjoy!!
Vegan or non-vegan, this was the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! Even those who usually don’t like sweet things loved it!
This is wonderful!! So so happy to hear it 🙂 Thank you so so much for the review, and enjoy!
Before my daughter was diagnosed with every allergy in the book i would always make carrot cake. I finally decided to try this vegan version out (because every recipe ive tried here so far is literally amazing) and let me just say its soooo goood! The whole family loved it! You wouldnt even think its vegan! Highly recommended to try it out!
Omgsh I’m so grateful!! This is so beautiful, thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂 I hope you both enjoy!! 🙂
This recipe is a MAJOR hit whenever I make it as cake 🫶🏽✨💖 Thank you for such an amazing recipe! I tried to make it as cupcakes today but they overflowed 😅
I filled the liners as it didn’t say 3/4, but maybe I should have fill them only 3/4?
Anyways, still delicious as always!
This look like an incredible recipe, but I really love carrot cakes that include pineapple! Do you have an idea of how much pineapple could be added to this recipe?
Hi Lea! Can’t say exactly how much would be best because I haven’t made this with pineapple but I would guess 3/4 – 1 cup drained would probably work! 🙂
Oh man! This smelled amazing while baking and tasted BEYOND AMAZING – possibly my new favorite cake. So moist, perfectly spiced, and the cream frosting was to die for! In case this is helpful for anyone else, I baked it in two 8 inch round pans for 38 minutes. And due to allergies, we only need it to be egg-free, so we used regular unsalted butter and normal cream cheese; used almond milk for the buttermilk and coconut milk yogurt.
I made this in the rush for Christmas, I used oat flour so I was nervous about it but it came out PERFECT, it was delicious, if you are thinking on doing this, it won’t disappoint at all.. thank you so much Britt!! I am looking forward to make a chocolate one now for new year and I am very excited about it!
AMAZING! Oh I’m so happy you loved it!! Thank you so much for the kind review! Happy Holidays 🙂
what’s the measurement for cake flour?
Hi Z! 3 1/2 cups of cake flour. 🙂
Thsnk youuuu!!!This cake is absolutley the best i ever made and eat in my life!
I like to raise down a little bit sugar dose (not too much don’t worry 😉 )
I didn’t try to make from scratch the vegan cream cheese just cause of lack of time. For italian people who want to make the frosting i suggest to use vallè vegetal mascarpone and vegetal cream cause italian veg cream cheese don’t work as the americans.
Love
Omgsh this is wonderful!! So so happy to hear it!! Also you have a store bought vegan mascarpone?! I’m so jealous haha!! Enjoy, e grazie mille per provare la ricetta 🙂
HELP! When do I add in the 1-1/2 c oil??? I just see to cream the butter and sugars, then alternate the buttermilk and the dry ingredients. Oil when!? Argh! it’s already in the oven without oil.
So sorry I had to clear the cache, it never fully cleared on the recipe card! It should now reflect that 🙂 Enjoy!
This cake is literally the best cake I’ve done in my life. My friends are vegan and I wanted to bake this cake on my birthday and I really prefered your version over any other I’ve had in my entire life. For real. I was just testing and my husband até half of it in 4h!
Carrot cake has been my ultimate favourite cake throughout my whole childhood, so I’ve had a lot of them. Still, this is maybe the best I’ve had ever… 🤭🤭🤭 The cake was moist, spicy in the best way (it was like the xmas spirit in a cake-form), fluffy and just perfect! And the cream cheese frosting too – I added a bit of lemon peel and juice – I loved it! Thank you for this AMAZING recipe <3
ps. if you're reading through the comments and thinking of making this cake, this is your sign to make it – you will not disappoint!!
pps. sorry if I spelled anything wrong, English isn't my first language 🙂
Hi Mimosa! SO HAPPY to hear you loved this recipe! I hope you’ll make it time and time again, thanks so much for being here! 🙂
I can’t wait to make this for Easter! The one request from the group was a different, non- cream cheese frosting (maybe a buttercream).
Could you recommend one of your other frosting recipes that would go good with this cake?
love your recipes so much!
YES! Oh I’m so excited for you to try!! It’s so so good and moist! And definitely! You can use a simple vegan vanilla buttercream, but if you want to test your skills you can try my Chantilly cream frosting 🙂 Enjoy!!