Vegan Carrot Cake

This vegan carrot cake is moist, warmly spiced, and layered with a tangy vegan cream cheese frosting. Finely grated carrots keep the crumb soft for days, and a simple two bowl method means no special equipment and no hard steps.

If you already love our classic easy homemade carrot cake, this is the plant based version to keep beside it. The batter comes together in about 20 minutes, and the oven does the rest.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: About 2 hours
Servings: 12 slices
Oven Temperature: 350°F (175°C)
Pans: Two 8 inch round cake pans

Quick Ingredients: all purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, plant milk, apple cider vinegar, neutral oil, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, grated carrots, chopped walnuts (optional), vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, powdered sugar.

Quick Steps: Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients. Combine into a batter, fold in the carrots and walnuts, and divide between two pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool fully, then beat the frosting and layer the cakes.

Ingredients for Vegan Carrot Cake

For the Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup plant milk, soy or oat, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup neutral oil, such as sunflower or light olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, about 4 medium carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese, chilled
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons plant milk, only if needed

How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake

Step 1: Prepare the Pans and Oven

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. The parchment matters here, because the moist crumb likes to stick.

Step 2: Mix the Plant Milk and Vinegar

Stir the apple cider vinegar into the plant milk and set it aside for 5 minutes. It will look slightly curdled, and that is exactly what you want. This mixture works with the baking soda to give the cake its lift.

Step 3: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Break up any brown sugar lumps with your fingers as you go.

Step 4: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a second bowl, whisk the curdled plant milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.

Step 5: Combine and Fold in the Carrots

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. A few small streaks of flour are fine. Fold in the grated carrots and the walnuts if you are using them. Overmixing at this stage is the main reason a vegan carrot cake turns dense, so stop as soon as the batter looks even.

Step 6: Bake

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Step 7: Cool Completely

Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack. Let them cool for at least 1 hour before frosting. Warm cake melts vegan frosting on contact, so do not rush this step.

Step 8: Make the Frosting and Assemble

Beat the vegan butter until creamy, then beat in the chilled vegan cream cheese just until smooth. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, then the vanilla and salt. Spread half the frosting over the first layer, set the second layer on top, and finish with the rest. A handful of chopped walnuts pressed around the top edge looks classic and takes ten seconds.

Why This Vegan Carrot Cake Works

Three things carry this recipe. The vinegar and plant milk mixture reacts with the baking soda for lift without eggs. The applesauce adds moisture that oil alone cannot give, so the crumb stays soft instead of greasy. And grating the carrots finely, rather than shredding them thick, spreads them through every slice so the cake stays tender and even.

The spice level is warm but not sharp. Cinnamon leads, ginger adds a little heat at the end, and nutmeg rounds it out. If you prefer a stronger spice cake, raise the ginger to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Ingredient Notes

Plant milk. Soy milk gives the best structure because of its protein content. Oat milk works well too. Thin nut milks make a slightly softer crumb, so the cake may need 2 to 3 extra minutes in the oven.

Applesauce. Use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened applesauce pushes the cake too sweet once the frosting goes on. Mashed ripe banana can replace it in a pinch, though the crumb will taste faintly of banana.

Vegan cream cheese. Use a firm tub or block style vegan cream cheese for the frosting. Soft spreadable styles from a tub meant for toast can make the frosting loose. If your frosting feels soft, chill it for 20 minutes before spreading.

Carrots. Peel and grate the carrots on the fine side of a box grater, or use the grating disc of a food processor. Do not use pre shredded bagged carrots. They are dry and thick, and they stay chewy in the finished cake.

Tips for a Moist Vegan Carrot Cake

• Weigh or loosely spoon the flour. Packed flour is the fastest route to a heavy cake.
• Bring the plant milk to room temperature so the batter mixes evenly and rises well.
• Check the cake at 35 minutes. Vegan cakes go from moist to dry quickly at the end of baking.
• Frost only a fully cool cake, and chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
• Toast the walnuts for 8 minutes at 350°F if you want a deeper flavor in the crumb and on top.

Baking for a mixed table? Serve this next to our vegan blueberry muffins and nobody has to ask which tray is theirs.

Storage and Freezing

Store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The crumb actually tastes better on day two, once the spices settle into the cake. Bring slices to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.

Unfrosted layers freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap each layer tightly, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then frost as usual. For safe storage times on all leftovers, follow the USDA leftovers and food safety guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake this vegan carrot cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan?

Yes. Pour all the batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Frost the top only, and cut the cake into 12 squares.

Can I make vegan carrot cake without nuts?

Yes. Leave the walnuts out entirely, or swap them for 1/2 cup of raisins or shredded coconut. The cake stays moist either way.

Why did my vegan carrot cake sink in the middle?

The usual causes are too much baking soda, an oven that runs cool, or opening the oven door in the first 25 minutes. Check your oven with a thermometer and measure the leaveners carefully.

Can I turn this recipe into cupcakes?

Yes. Fill lined muffin cups three quarters full and bake for 20 to 24 minutes. The recipe makes about 18 cupcakes. Pipe or spread the same frosting on top once they are fully cool.