Description
This Moist Vegan Carrot Cake is a delightful plant-based dessert featuring grated carrots and warm spices, all combined into a tender, flavorful cake. Paired with a creamy vegan cream cheese frosting, this recipe is perfect for any occasion, offering a moist texture and rich taste without any animal products.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 4 cups grated carrots
- 2/3 cup vegan buttermilk (vegan milk mixed with apple cider vinegar)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free blend
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegan butter, melted
- 2/3 cup dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- Vegan cream cheese
- Powdered sugar (quantity as desired for sweetness)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cakes.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a small bowl, mix vegan milk with apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle and create vegan buttermilk.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (all-purpose or gluten-free), baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, blend melted vegan butter with granulated sugar until smooth and slightly creamy. Add dairy-free yogurt and vanilla extract, then mix well to combine.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the vegan buttermilk. Stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Fold in Carrots: Gently fold the grated carrots into the batter, ensuring they are evenly distributed without overworking the batter.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pans before removing and frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a bowl, mix vegan cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cakes are fully cooled, spread the vegan cream cheese frosting evenly between layers and over the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
- You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend to make the cake gluten-free.
- Ensure the vegan buttermilk is given enough time to curdle properly for best results.
- Do not overmix the batter to maintain a moist and tender cake texture.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Use fresh grated carrots for optimal moisture and flavor.
- The spices can be adjusted to taste; feel free to increase or omit any based on preference.
