Plant-Based Carrot Cake

This carrot cake recipe has a special place in my heart. It is the first vegan cake I ever baked. It was 8 years ago, and I had never even heard of flax seeds let alone used them as an egg replacer in baking.

One of my first vegan friends (whom I met at a protest) gave me this recipe. It is an easy recipe, and the cake is so moist and delicious. I have not met anyone who did not like this carrot cake. Thank you to my friend for this amazing recipe that keeps on giving. Here I am sharing it on a plant-based blog almost a decade later.

I made this carrot cake this past weekend for my grandmother’s 86th birthday and my son’s 4th birthday. They have the same birthday, 82 years apart. On the day my son was born, my grandmother came to the hospital and we ate vegan chocolate birthday cake to celebrate. It has been so special celebrating their birthdays together these last four years.

Full disclosure, the dairy-free cream cheese frosting is very rich! This definitely is a decadent dessert. Leave the frosting off for a less sweet treat.

Give this plant-based carrot cake recipe a try, and see how easy and delicious vegan baking can be. Rabbit food never tasted so good.

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis

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Vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Plant-Based Carrot Cake


  • Author: Plant-Based Persian
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 people 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

A moist, rich plant-based carrot cake


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup light brown cane sugar
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • 3 Egg Replacer – 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed mixed with 9 Tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 8 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • Walnuts and raisins (optional)

“Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting”

  • 4 oz dairy-free cream cheese (I use Kite Hill plain cream cheese)
  • 1/3 cup softened dairy-free butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, and salt – the “Dry Ingredients.”
  3. In a large bowl, mix sugars and egg replacer until creamy with an electric mixer. Add vanilla. Add vegetable oil – the “Wet Ingredients.”
  4. Mix the “Dry Ingredients” and the “Wet Ingredients.”
  5. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and coconut. Add walnuts and raisins if using.
  6. Grease 8×8 glass cake pan. For a thinner cake with more servings, you could use a 13×9 pan instead.
  7. Add batter to the greased pan and bake 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (as oven temperatures vary).
  8. To prepare dairy-free cream cheese frosting, beat with an electric mixture the dairy-free cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla. Add the sugar.
  9. Be sure to let the cake cool completely before frosting.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Desert
  • Cuisine: American